Heavy in Your Arms
by FlorenceBradbury
Summary: The last thing Percy Jackson wants to do is help out at his dad's mental hospital. At least, until the beautiful and dangerously disturbed Annabeth steps into the picture. Falling for her was easy, but dealing with her disorder is rather difficult. But can Percy alone really help her recover? Can he really save her from her own mind? *username formerly XxbethamphetaminexX*
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus series. Just the plot and a couple OCs. I guess I don't own the title, either. I got it from a song by Florence+The Machine. **

Paranoid Schizophrenia:

Paranoid schizophrenia is one of several types of schizophrenia, a chronic mental illness in which a person loses touch with reality (psychosis). The classic features of paranoid schizophrenia are having delusions and hearing things that aren't real.

With paranoid schizophrenia, your ability to think and function in daily life may be better than with other types of schizophrenia. You may not have as many problems with memory, concentration or dulled emotions. Still, paranoid schizophrenia is a serious, lifelong condition that can lead to many complications, including suicidal behavior.

Percy

"Take Your Son to Work" day sucks. Especially if your dad runs a nuthouse.

I mean, why did I have to come? It wouldn't hurt for Tyson to miss _one_ day of school. My cousins Thalia and Nico were open. What is it about eldest sons that gets men all hyped up?

I should probably explain. My name is Perseus Jackson, but since that's a bit of a mouthful, most people call me Percy. You'd probably recognize my dad Poseidon (we're total Greek freaks), he's this big-shot, "new age" therapist who runs all these asylums (Sorry, _recovery centers_) here in New York. Supposedly he comes up with these new and unconventional techniques to help mentally unstable people. He wants Tyson and me to run the family business when he dies, but we're not interested. I'd rather swim than spend my time with a bunch of whack-jobs. He's fully aware of my feelings, but it sure as hell doesn't stop him.

"It's not that bad, Percy," Dad said during the car ride. "You might end up liking it." I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah. What's not to like about psychopaths?"

"Percy, we talked about this. They are not 'psychopathic', just different."

"Whatever."

"You know, Percy, you should be thankful for this. I'm offering you an opportunity for a new life. You're an adult now; you need to act like one." He had that 'disapproving father' voice that I hated. But I can't say he's completely wrong. I'm 20 and this is my first job since 10th grade. Psychos were better than being homeless.

We pulled up to the recovery center. It was a nice looking building, with chrome coloring and a cubic, futuristic design. The words _Half-Blood Recovery Center _were printed on the front. Why is it called 'Half-Blood'? Greek freaks, remember?

The inside was just as cool. The sleek chairs were bright white, and the walls a light gray. Everything looked like something from a Sci-Fi movie. Even the nurses wore white bottoms with silver tops. Everything had to be colored like this to avoid "exciting the patients". At a small reception desk, there was a pretty nurse organizing papers. It could have been a futuristic doctor's office, if not for the faint shrieks coming from the other rooms.

"Percy, this is Silena. She'll be helping you during your assignment," Poseidon said, pointing to the nurse. "Silena, this is Percy, my son."

Silena looked at me with that look that girls typically give me; a mixture of curiosity and lust. I usually don't mind, and with her chocolate hair and big blue eyes, Silena was _really _pretty. **(A/N: Don't worry SilenaxBeckendorf shall come. Percy finds someone else. *wink, wink*) **

"Hi Percy," she said while shaking my hand. As she did, I noticed four long and fairly deep scars running down her arm.

"What happened to your arm? Did you fall into a bush or something?" I asked, actually concerned.

Silena looked scared for a second, and then quickly composed herself. "Oh I have a cat at home. She can be a little rough." I knew she was lying; she had a hard time meeting my eyes. "By the way, Poseidon, that reminds me. Can I talk to you privately? It's about our _favorite_ patient." Dad's face seemed to darken a bit when she said that last part.

"Percy, how about you wait here for a sec while I talk to Silena? We'll be done soon." Dad had that "I'm hiding something from you" face. Or as I called it, the "Your dog just ran away" face. But I didn't let on that I knew and sat down. He and Silena went into a small room behind the reception desk. The door was closed, so I did what anyone would do when their parent is lying: Listen in to their conversation. Call me immature, but you would've done it, too. It was a little hard to get behind the desk without them seeing me through the door window, but I've had years of practice with this stuff.

"She attacked me!" I heard Silena yell-whisper. "She's not responding to anything. It's almost like she wants to be sick!"

So that's where she got those scars, from a patient. A pretty vicious one, I'm guessing.

"Annabeth just needs some time."

"It's been _five years_, Poseidon. Five years and she's just as bad as she was before."

"I refuse to accept that. I promised her parents that I wouldn't give up on her, no matter how long it took. And she has improved. She's much more empathetic than before," Dad said firmly. I knew that voice, he really wasn't going to give up.

"Not enough. She still attacks people."

"You know Annabeth doesn't like being forced."

By now I was pretty interested in this Annabeth girl. The way Dad defended her was interesting, though. What made her so special that they wouldn't stop even after five years? My train of thought was interrupted by a small hand on my mouth. I whipped my head around to see a girl, covering my mouth and putting her finger to her lips. And can I just say… Wow.

She was easily the prettiest girl I had ever seen. She had long, wavy, platinum blond hair that touched her elbows. Her pale skin was flawless, and her features were perfect. Better-than-a-supermodel perfect. But the most striking thing about her was her eyes. They were a deep gray, and seemed endless. They shone with intelligence and emotion, and were large enough to be animated (in a non-creepy way). Add the long, dark lashes and I just couldn't stop staring.

She was staring at me, too. But in a different, more calculative way. It seemed like she was trying to figure out how to take me down in a fight. Then she removed her hand from my mouth and smiled.

"Hello," she said. Although 'said' isn't the right word. She literally sang it to me, in a beautiful soprano.

"Um… Uh, hi," was my brilliant response. The great Percy Jackson breaking down because of a girl. Nico would laugh his ass off.

"Who are you?" she sang.

"Perseus Jackson. Percy is what most people call me. I'm Poseidon's son." I reached out to shake her hand. She looked at my hand curiously, then cocked her head to the side, as if listening to somebody. I guess I won their approval, because she shook my hand afterwards.

"Nice to meet you Percy Jackson," she started talking normally. "My name is-"

Suddenly, Poseidon and Silena opened the door. I was so distracted by my new acquaintance that I forgot what I was doing. They had on shocked expressions as they looked at me and her sitting together.

"Percy," Poseidon said tensely while attempting to feign enthusiasm. "I see you've met Annabeth Chase."

_ This_ was _the_ Annabeth? The Annabeth who had been here for half a decade? The one who attacks people?

I looked over at her. She simply smiled.

Oh boy.

**Yay! First chapter is FINISHED! This is my first fan-fiction; I've been reading it for so long I figured I'd write some. So please don't flame my story (sorry it's so long), but I don't mind constructive criticism. Recommendations are welcome and reviews/follows/favorites would be AWESOME. Tell me what you thought because I really want to hear it.**

**Deuces for now.**

**( health/paranoid-schizophrenia/DS00862 is where I got the definition) **


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh. My. God. Becky, look at those reviews. They are so awesome. Shout out to **L1berty0rD34th, PercyJackson is SeaweedBrain, Hunter of Artemis 140, Amy's Mischievous Little Owl, BookReader10, The-One-And-Only-Piper-McLean, EmmiG, Scarlett O'Awesome,

TheMaxIronGreekVoldySpyGames 08, BookNerd666, HadesGDT, sofdog123, potterblacklupin-4ever, pongochic2,Rebeccax3**, **wisdomsdaughteriscrazy, Artemis-gurl, hopesolofan, naynay678, trio-of-friends, MegJackson, Finding Adventures, fantasylover1997, **and any guests that reviewed/viewed/favorite/followed. I freaked when I saw the statistics, the people around me thought I was nuts!**

**BTW I do know about that repeating sentence, but I found it after it was published and I don't know how to change it (-_-). When I learn how I'll edit it. On with story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase does. (I had to use it)**

Annabeth

I honestly didn't understand why I had to be here. I'm not crazy.

People thought that I was because I could see and hear things that they couldn't That didn't make me crazy, it made me special. I guess I was just a little less "normal" than other people are. It wasn't my fault that they were blind and I was not.

It started with the Voices. I began to hear them when I was five. They taught me how to survive in this world, which was good since there were so many people after me. Blind people (as the Voices called them) started to fear me, thinking that I was dangerous. I got sent here when I was 14 for pushing a girl down the stairs because the Voices told me that she was trying to poison me putting things in my food and water. The police told me that wasn't true, but the Voices never lie. _Ever_. Mali was the one who suggested pushing her down the stairs, though. Mali always protected me.

Mali was my secret friend because nobody else could see her. I couldn't understand how this "blind" thing worked, because Mali was impossible to miss. She was always naked for starters, because she didn't like clothes. Although I doubt anyone would ogle her, because she had the body of an emaciated 12 year-old boy. Her skin was pale, and she had dark hair cascading down her back. Her eyes were black, and huge. They covered at least ¾ of her face, which left barely any room for her tiny lips and nose. She might sound strange, but I _loved _Mali. She was my _everything_. I did whatever she told me to do.

Doctors told my parents that I was sick; a "messed up little girl", to be exact. After pushing that girl down the stairs, I was sent here to get better. They tried giving me these special vitamins to help me, but I refused to take them; Mali would tell me not to. Then they tried forcing me, which was a big mistake. Like Silena. I didn't know why she was so upset with me; if she hadn't tried to use force I wouldn't have scratched her. Duh.

But I did like the recovery center. It was different than other ones because of Poseidon's "vision". The level 3 patients like me got things like TVs and laptops! How cool was that? Everything was fixed so we couldn't watch anything too "stimulating" or "inspiring", but it was technology all the same. The nurses were pretty nice, too. And I did have actual friends. Even "mentally unstable" people can socialize. But I got bored sometimes, even with Mali and the Voices. Then Perseus Jackson stepped in.

Poseidon and Silena looked a little surprised to see Percy and me together. Especially Silena. I didn't see a problem with it. Percy didn't have a problem with it. The Voices didn't even comment on it, and I trusted the Voices more than anybody. Except for Mail, of course.

"Annabeth," Silena said carefully. "What are you doing here? It's almost time for lunch." Silena doesn't expect me to do sneaky things like eavesdrop. I like well her enough, but she greatly underestimates my intelligence.

"The Voices told me you were talking about me, so I followed you down here. And you were."

Silena gulped. "Well go upstairs, sweetheart. You'll miss lunch if you don't," she said.

"Take me."

"I can't," Silena spoke through clenched teeth. I was really testing her patience (trolling), which I _loved_ to do. "I have to show Percy around the building." She pointed to Percy Jackson, who was looking at us back and forth.

"I'll show him around!" I sang (I love to sing). I really wanted to know Percy Jackson, with his swirly green eyes and black waves. I also wanted Mali to meet him. If she liked him, then I could be friends with him. And I really hoped she would let me be friends with him. I can't say I loved him, or even had a crush on him, but I guess you could call it a sciolistic infatuation.

"No!" Silena practically shouted. I guess she was a little afraid of me. I thought she was overreacting; it was just a couple scratches. I tore out half of Drew's hair, and she wasn't even as afraid. And Drew is _Drew_. But I was disappointed to leave my new friend. I turned to him and ran a hand through his hair. (Why? Everyone thinks I'm crazy anyways. You get away with stuff.) Percy blushed; turning blood colored.

"Bye Perseus Jackson," I sang again. Then I left to find my room. You'd think it would be hard to find in such a large building, but I'm good at finding things. The Voices told me where to go.

I went into my room. I liked the way it was decorated, with clean chrome walls and smooth white tiles. The tiles were good company, too. I always made sure to say hello to them and call them by name. I had a ton of pictures of my family on my desk. My favorite was the one with my birth mom, my dad and I on a small boat. I was six or seven. We had had such a good time, but it was short-lived because Mali told me to jump in the water.

"Annabeth," sang a familiar voice. It was light, airy, and had a soft echo on the end. Speak of the devil. Mali was sitting on my bed, cross-legged, waiting for me.

"Hi Mali!" I said to her. She smiled, although I could hardly see it.

"Hello Annabeth. You look rather excited. What happened?"

I told her all about sneaking out, eavesdropping on Silena and Poseidon and getting caught. But I mostly talked about Percy Jackson. Mali's face seemed to darken.

"A boy, you say?" Mali's voice echoed. She looked really pissed at me.

"Yes. A very nice one, from what I could tell."

"You should _not_ interact with boys, Annabeth," Mali hissed.

"Why not?"

"That's one of the rules." Mali had set out special rules for me. I typically followed them religiously, but I just didn't understand them.

"Why do you make all these rules for me, Mali? My medicine, for example. Poseidon says it'll help me, but you say it'll damage my brain and make you leave. So I don't take them. But now my head hurts more every day. If you're right, then shouldn't I feel better _without _them?"

Mali narrowed her eyes. The rule I had been taught above all others was this: Do what Mali tells you to do. I felt strange; I had never broken that rule before.

Before Mali could scold me, I saw the clock and noticed that it was time for lunch. I didn't want to sit through one of her lectures, so I got the hell out of dodge.

"Bye Mali, see you after lunch!" I called. I ran out of the room while the Voices told me where the lunchroom was.

**Wow, still not over the responses to this story. This probably isn't my best chapter; I just wanted everyone to get a slight feel for how Annabeth's mind works. Mali is sort of like her schizophrenia personified, if that makes sense. She's like a slave to her condition. I didn't want to leave everyone with this, so I'm adding another chapter tomorrow that is (hopefully) better. Annabeth is a little difficult to write, but I like a challenge. R&R!**

**Oh, and tomorrow's my birthday. I'd really love some good reviews as a gift. Just so you know. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Go Beth, it's ya birthday! YE-UH! Thanks to **CHA, charline, sunnyday45, unnamedwisegirl, si-fi-lover22, hsw99, WorldOfIzzy, GirlThatsAwesome, Elia19, STYLEASIAN, FranAdams-DaughterofAchelois, RoseWeasley929,bubblelover302,lovetoread1410, Athenagrlhuntress , Briguy316, awesomebookworm57, MTrenchRox, MissunderstoodPoet, carlyfries2, Summer Skye 2012, Complete Synch, **and any epic guests that reviewed/viewed/favorite/followed.**

**Special shout out to** Smarties (an epic guest), Pliantly Virtuous , PercabethLOVER, whackadoodle100, MTrenchRox, Artemis-gurl , toloveandinspire **for wishing me a happy birthday! **

**I don't own PJO, blah, blah, blah.**

Percy

I had to admit, my dad can make a kickass madhouse.

I actually found myself enjoying the tour. The patients scared me a little bit, but they all seemed to like my dad, so I didn't get attacked or anything. The staff was friendly, too. Everybody seemed pretty normal, actually. One thing burned in my mind, though.

"Dad."

"Yeah, Percy?"

"What _exactly_ is wrong with Annabeth?" Ok, it might not have been my business, but can you blame me for asking? A gorgeous, violent girl who hears voices in her head?

Intriguing.

Dad looked a little uncomfortable with the question. "Well, Annabeth's a great girl, honestly. Very smart, and generally very sweet. She's… got some issues, though. Schizophrenia, paranoid schizophrenia to be exact. She has this imaginary friend, she hears voices, and is constantly worried that she's being hunted down."

"Isn't that normal for schizophrenics?"

"Yes, but that's not the main problem. The main problem is her refusal to be helped. She lashes out at therapists and never takes her medications. You saw what happened to Silena, right? Well that not the first, or the worst, thing she's done to the people that try to force her. We can't even put the medicine in her food; she has this weird ability to sense it. Annabeth might not look like a fighter, but she can do some damage. Her last supervisor just quit due to stress."

"Wow," I breathed. I mean, what could I say after that?

Oh, before I forget, you know how I said that I didn't get attacked by any patients? Yeah… I lied.

I can't say that I took it well when Annabeth jumped me. I collapsed under her weight and started moaning in pain. She turned me over, still pinning me down, so she could see the look on my face. I probably looked like hell, but quickly relaxed when I saw who she was.

"Hey Annabeth," I chuckled. It hurt my ribs, but I didn't really care. I liked the way she smiled when I said her name.

"Hello Percy Jackson," she snickered. She grinned at me and I grinned back. I felt like I was wrestling with a childhood friend, not a relative stranger. It was comfortable instead of awkward.

At least, not for us. Poseidon on the other hand looked a little stiff while watching us. Annabeth smiled at him regardless, since she knew he liked her.

"Hi Poseidon. I was on my way to lunch when I decided to snatch my new best friend. Sorry for the scare." she giggled.

Her laugh was so bright, Dad had to crack. "That's quite alright, Annabeth," he laughed. "Now if you would _please_ remove yourself from my son, I'd like to finish the tour."

Annabeth jumped off me, and I took a much needed gulp of air (Hallelujah). She clapped her hands at a rapid pace.

"I'll show him around! Oh _please,_ Poseidon? I promise to be on my best behavior! You won't see a scratch on him when he comes back! Please!" she squealed, begging like a five year-old, including the classic puppy-dog eyes. Smart girl; Dad was a sucker for those.

He looked at me, waiting for my approval. _Why not?_ I thought. I nodded my head for yes. "Alright Annabeth, you can him." (She did a small victory dance at that point.) "But if I hear a bad report, you are in _big_ trouble, young lady. Do I make myself clear?" Annabeth bobbed her head and grinned; she knew he wouldn't do anything. Poseidon's a big softy in actuality.

"Go on, you two," Poseidon chuckled. "But remember: Not a scratch!"

"Got it!" Annabeth smiled. Poseidon shook his head, laughing. Then he turned to go to his office.

"Well Percy," Annabeth said, clasping her hands together. "Let's get started."

**XXXXXXXXLINEBREAKXXXXXXXX**

Annabeth was a surprisingly good tour guide. She gave me the "Super-Duper Extra Special" tour, which was like the standard tour, but it also included the secret places only the patients knew about.

"You see that little spot under the stairs?" she asked, pointing to a little nook under the staircase leading to the lunchroom. "That's called the Sanctuary. None of the staff go in, but every patient has at least once. Crazy things go down in there."

"What did _you_ do in the Sanctuary?" It sounded like something from a high school TV show.

"Kiss somebody. A girl, actually. It was a dare from a couple of our friends," she wore a devilish smile while saying that. "It's actually one of the tamest things that has happened in there." **(A/N: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA)**

My eyebrows shot up, and Annabeth laughed at my expression.

"You look like a cow that's been hit with a shovel," she said between laughs.

There turned out to be a lot of hidden places in Half-Blood. I felt like a kid running through a haunted mansion; there were so many twists and turns. If I hadn't had Annabeth, I would've have gotten_ so_ lost.

The last place Annabeth took me to was her room. It had the same color scheme as the rest of the hospital; all white and grey. It wasn't boring, though, especially with the flat screen and Mac Book (Oh sure when_ I_ asked for a laptop it was out of the question. Really, Dad?) and there were pictures decorating a small chrome desk. I looked around as Annabeth started talking to some invisible thing in a corner. _She has this imaginary friend,_ I remembered my dad telling me. I wondered if that was it, because they seemed to be having a heated argument. _She's not well_, I reminded myself.

"Who's that?" I asked, pointing to a picture of a much younger Annabeth with two adults on a boat. I almost laughed; young Annabeth looked like a wild child with her distracted expression and crazed hair.

She stopped her invisible altercation. "That's me, my mom Athena, and my dad Frederick. We had a friend who owned a boat, and he would let us use it from time to time," she said, smiling as she reminisced. I looked over to another picture. This one was a little more recent, and it showed the same man from the other photo, a pretty Asian woman, two dark haired little boys, and Annabeth. But she looked a little different. Her hair was curly and honey-colored, and her skin was sun-tanned.

"Who are they, then?"

She looked at the picture and smiled, but it was a slightly sadder smile. "That's my dad, my step-mom Susanna, my half-brothers Bobby and Matthew and me. Mom died when I was nine. It really hit me hard."

"Oh," I whispered, feeling a little guilty for asking.

"Yeah. It got better, though. I didn't like Susanna at first, and she sure as hell didn't like me, but we made up. Now we have an actual mother-daughter bond. I even call her Suzy-Cube. She'll never replace Athena, but she's the closest I'll ever get to having a mom again."

"Well that's good. Do they ever visit you?" I asked. I was genuinely curious; having experienced step-parents myself."

"Whenever they can. They were pretty upset when they found out that I'm supposedly 'crazy' or whatever. But they wanted only the best for me, you know how parents are."

"Yeah, my mom's really sweet, so is my step-dad."

"Step-dad? Your mom and Poseidon aren't still married?" she had on a confused expression that was simply adorable (and yes, guys _do _use that word occasionally).

"No, but they're still great friends. Paul's a really cool step-dad, too. Especially in high school, where he was my English teacher. You wouldn't believe the things I got away with."

Annabeth laughed, and it made her sound like a schoolgirl. I liked her laugh; hearing it even made me forget about the fact that she was schizophrenic.

"Well, you are quite the charmer, Jackson," she giggled. _She must really like seeing me blush_, I thought. I must have been right, 'cause when she saw my face she laughed even harder.

"Enough about our parents, though. Let's watch some TV," I said quickly, trying to cover up my blush.

"Ok, but there's only, like, one channel and it's not that great. All the shows are from old Disney, MeTV, or Boomerang. And everything's in black and white. Poseidon didn't the shows to be too 'inspiring' or anything. He just wanted us to experience something from the outside world."

"Hey, TV is TV."

"I like the way you think, Jackson."

We spent the last hour watching crappy television, but I had a great time. Annabeth was surprisingly witty; always making smart remarks about whatever we were watching. At some point, I had wrapped my arm around her shoulder, but she didn't seem to mind. I actually forgot that we were in a mental facility and I was chillin' with a violent schizophrenic who refused to take her meds while watching TV specially formulated to not shake her up. In my mind, I was just watching TV with the girl next door. And it felt good.

I heard a knock on Annabeth's door. My dad was there, wearing that same uncomfortable expression he wore when Annabeth attacked me.

"Hey, Perce," he said apologetically. "Sorry, but it's time to go. You still count as a visitor and visiting hours are over."

Annabeth frowned. "Oh, you have to leave." She brightened again. "But you'll be back tomorrow, right?"

"Actually he's going to be here for the rest of week as a visitor," Dad cut in.

Annabeth frowned again. "Only a week…" she trailed off. She looked so sad and dejected that I felt my heart squeeze. I went over to Dad.

"Hey, you said that Annabeth's supervisor quit, right?" I asked; a crazy idea forming in my brain.

"Well, yes."

"Maybe I could replace him." Annabeth's head shot up when I said that. She looked at me quizzically.

"Are you sure, Percy?" Dad asked me, leaning in. "It's a much bigger responsibility than you think."

I looked over at Annabeth. She was using the puppy-dog eyes that I couldn't say no to (must run in the family).

"Yeah, I'm sure."

And then it began

**Wow I'm so happy about these reviews! You guys are seriously awesome. Really guys, go get yourselves a medal or a sticker. You've earned it.**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter; the next one will be up next week. Maybe. Hopefully. Fingers crossed. R&R everybody (C'mon guys, reviews would make a great b-day present!)**

**I also made an Awkward reference (The Sanctuary) and a Kane Chronicles reference (You look like a cow that's been hit with a shovel). **


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to** PercabethJacksonLover101, Epic Otaku Cherry, peanutbuttre7, NotsoSugarQueen, Crummywriter, iampercyjackson'swife, julilivingston8, shitty-hellokitty, RachelSilly, SapphireJems, Summer Skye 2012, breezyme, dakota845, friendsrox12, , stepsharris-multifandoms, xX9SoftballChick9Xx, Writersmagnet, p4d, envelope123, Katrinaaaa, OtakuGurl, Stranger **(last four are some epic guests), and any other epic guests that reviewed/viewed/favorite/followed.**

**Special shout out to** sunnyday45, Athena grl huntress, EmmiG, Emz, Artemis-gurl **(again J),** MTrenchRox **(also again J),** **and **Epic Otaku Cherry **for wishing me a happy birthday! 3**

**Also, I was looking through my chapters and realized that I never thanked** DeziRayDaughterOfApollo **for both following and favoriting (Is that a word? Pretty sure it's not). I feel kind of bad, so you get a Super-Duper Extra Special shout out!**

peanutbuttre7- **Hmmm. It's definitely interesting. I'm considering that.**

Athena grl huntress- **No, unfortunately Annabeth****_ is_**** schizophrenic. But real schizophrenics don't run around screaming, "LOL LOOK AT ME I'M INSANE! HAHAHA I HEAR VOICES!" so I put her in denial to be realistic. **

PercabethLOVER- **I've never seen that movie, but I Googled it and you are so right…**

EmmiG- **Yeah I get what you mean. I've never written a love story before, so I'm "exploring foreign territory". But I'll try to make Percy a little more serious.**

Emz- **Hmmm. Again it's definitely interesting. I'm a little uncertain about the climax of this story, so I might use it. Still not sure.**

**Disclaimer- If I owned PJO/HoO, House of Hades would be out now.**

Annabeth

I know this makes me sound mean, but I was wondering how long Percy was going to last.

I mean, I've had more than twenty supervisors (a Half-Blood record), and all of them quit eventually. Two even had a nervous breakdown. What would make Percy any different?

_Nothing. He's just like all the others, Annabeth,_ the Voices whispered. For whatever reason, Mali and the Voices didn't like Percy very much. _He'll quit. You just wait, sweetheart. He's gonna leave you. They all do._ Normally, I would drop anyone my friends disapproved of. But for the first time ever, I ignored them. I _wanted_ Percy to be my friend, even if they didn't.

He was going to start working the day after he signed up. Weirdly, I couldn't sleep that night. I usually sleep like a baby, but that night I was restless. Was it _excitement_? I must've really liked my new friend.

"Too much, Annie, too much," Mali whispered to me. Sometimes Mali could read my mind or something. She always seemed to know what I was thinking.

"Stop worrying, Mali," I said. "I'm just happy to have another friend."

"Humph. He's attractive, isn't he?" she asked.

I looked at her and raised my eyebrows. "I suppose. Why do you care? It's not like you date or anything," I countered. Which was true; Mali hated boys. Even my dad and brothers got under her skin.

"Just curious, darling."

She then stopped talking to me. We just sat in a strange silence, which was weird since I was never uncomfortable around Mali. But I eventually fell asleep. I had a dream about the time I was on the boat with my family.

_"Annabeth! Come over here!" her dad yelled. He was smiling; smiling like the world was perfect and everything was going his way. Which it was, since he had his arm wrapped around her mother's waist. She was beautiful with her blonde waves and clear grey eyes. People always told Annabeth she looked like her, but she never could compare._

_ "Coming, Daddy," Little Annabeth said. She ran over on her tiny legs. She just finished talking to her new "imaginary" friend. Her parents didn't mind; they figured it was just another childhood phase. They didn't know how real Mali was._

_ "Excuse me," Mommy said to an elderly lady on a nearby bench. "Would you mind taking a picture of us on our boat? It would really mean a lot." Mommy flashed a smile, and nobody could say no to Mommy when she smiled._

_ We got on the boat' laughing when Little Annabeth stumbled into Daddy's arms. They must have looked like such a happy family. Mali, however, wasn't moved. She sat cross-legged like she usually did, and glared at them. Mainly Dad. She shook her head softly, but Little Annabeth didn't notice._

_ The boat rocked under their weight, but they didn't mind. Everything was fine in their fantasy land. They smiled for the camera as the lady took the picture' the same picture that graces Annabeth's desk. Mommy and Daddy get off the boat, but she stays on to talk to Mali._

_ "How adorable is that, Frederick?" Mommy cooed. "A little imaginary friend." They had no idea, no idea at all._

_ Mali bent down to look at Little Annabeth. "Your parents are talking about you," she said. Her voice echoed, making it sound ghost-like. _

_ "What? No they're not," Little Annabeth whined. Little Annabeth adored her parents. _

_ "Yes they are. They think you're a strange little girl. I don't think they like you very much."_

She's right, she's right,_ the Voices chanted. _Listen to her, listen to her._ Little Annabeth covered her ears, but the Voices' wailing still rang. _Listen, Annabeth. Listen to Mali.

_ "You know what? You should show them," Mali said._

_ "Show who what? What are you talking about?" Poor Little Annabeth; she didn't understand._

_ "Show your parents. Show them what they'd be missing if you left. Show them how sad they'd be."_

_ "How?"_

_ "Easy. Jump in the pond," Mali said, matter-of-factly. _

_"How will that help?"_

_"Well, they'd be so worried about you they'd never take you for granted again. They'd cherish you forever if they knew what they would miss," Mali said. Her voice was soothing and soft. Little Annabeth didn't know what to do. The pond was about as long as a football field, and _really_ deep. She could easily drown in it for she didn't know how to swim back then. But Mali was her friend, her_ best_ friend, and she'd never let her down before. The Voices kept yelling, _Do it! Do it!

_ She jumped in the lake. Mommy was the first to notice. She screamed._

_ Little Annabeth couldn't breathe; her tiny arms failed wildly. Daddy had to save her._

_She almost died. But her parents always paid special attention to her after that. Just like Mali said they would._

XXXXXXXXX-LINEBREAK STORYBOMB-XXXXXXXXX

"Annabeth," I heard someone, a male, say. "Annabeth!"

I woke up with a start. The voice belonged to Percy, who was shaking my shoulders. I noticed that I was covered in sweat and my sheets were soaked. Percy looked at me; his ocean eyes swirling with concern.

"I-I'm fine," I stammer. I'd never dreamt anything like that before. It was like I was watching a movie of my life. I give it a thumbs-down.

"Sorry. I came to wake you up and you were failing and shrieking," he said.

"It's alright," I whispered. "Oh, today's your first day of supervision, right?"

He flashed me a lopsided smile. "Yep. I just received your schedule and read your records this morning." His voice seemed to darken when he said "read your records". I guess it made sense; there were some pretty awful things on there. I mean, I do feel a _little_ bad about attacking the nurses and such. They had it coming, but I still felt bad.

He noticed the silence and changed the subject. You got a new schedule, by the way," he said and handed me a small packet. All the schedules were personalized.

**9:00-** Wake up, prepare for day and take medications

***Try to refrain from assaulting supervisor**

**9:15-** Breakfast

**9:45-** One on one therapy

**10:45-** Group therapy

***Group listing on separate page**

**11:45-** Outside time

***Note: This is optional. If you prefer to be indoors, you may stay in your room.**

**12:10-** Lunch

**12:40- **Individual tutoring

**2:40-** Group tutoring

**4:40-** Social time

**6:00-** One on one therapy **(with supervisor)**

**7:00-** Dinner

**7:30-** Free time

**8:00**- Bedtime and medications

***Again, try not to assault people**

I looked at the list of people in my group. One cool thing about Half-Blood was that they respected your social boundaries, so the groups typically consist of your friends and some acquaintances.

**Therapy Group **

Piper McLean

Leo Valdez

Rachel Dare

Calypso Eleni

Travis Stoll

Connor Stoll

Katie Gardner

Juniper Greene

Reyna Martínez

Good; I got all friends this time. Once I got an acquaintance, who later became an enemy. We had a little… issue during one of the sessions. Let's just say that said enemy can longer walk without help.

"Can I see your group list?" Percy asked. I nodded and handed it to him. "I heard that I would be in charge of the group therapy, is that true?"

"Yes," I answered. "Typically the supervisors of the more, um, _difficult_ patients are in charge of said patient's group therapy. They figure that the supervisor can handle because they are already dealing with a… challenge." I blush with embarrassment. Percy looked at me apologetically, but I can tell he's a little more cautious since he read my records.

_See? Trust no one, Annabeth_, the Voices whispered. _You'll never have anyone._ It's times like these when I get mad at them. I _hate_ when they do this to me. They mock me, and they know where to hit me so it'll hurt.

"Tell me about your friends, Annabeth," Percy said; snapping me out of my daze. He points to the list. "Let's start with Piper, since she's first."

"Oh, well, okay. Piper's a kleptomaniac. She used to shoplift all the time, even though she's totally rich. Nobody noticed, until she went a little too far and stole an ambassador's car. She would've gone to jail if not for her 'condition.' Piper's a sweetheart, though," I said.

I pointed to the second name. "Leo's a pyromaniac. He's a really nice guy, and he's not trying to hurt anybody, but someone always ends up getting burned. Leo's a really funny guy, too. Don't be surprised if he makes a bunch of jokes at therapy.

"Rachel has Asperger's syndrome. And not the kind that stupid middle school girls say they have, I mean the real deal. She isn't aware of other people's feelings unless you tell her straight out. And even then she doesn't _really_ understand. Rachel might insult you, but don't take offense. She's not trying to hurt your feelings or anything. It's a little hard to be friends with her sometimes, but we manage and I'm glad we're close," I checked to see that Percy was listening. He was, and he smiled at me while writing something down on his clipboard.

I continue. "Calypso has OCD. But she's not a neat-freak or anything. She's obsessed with her boyfriends. When she has one, she can't stop calling him, or hugging him, or kissing him. They eventually break up with her and she starts, well, stalking them. Like, Overly-Attached-Girlfriend level stalking. Then the boyfriend calls the police on Callie, but she never lets him go until she finds another boyfriend.

"Travis and Connor are twin sadists. It's not extreme; they don't flay animals or whatever. But they _love _to see people upset or uncomfortable. They play cruel and elaborate pranks on strangers and enemies. They typically don't mess with their friends, though, lucky for me. They're here for playing a prank on their teacher that was so bad she quit her job and started drinking." Percy's eyes widen.

"Holy crap, what did they do?"

"Nobody knows except for Poseidon," I said. "Anyway, there's Katie Gardner, the anthropophobic. She talks to individual people, and sometimes groups of two or three, but they have to be people she already knows. Katie can't meet new people unless they're with someone she knows. In fact, the number of people in this group is really pushing her limits. She'll probably stay in a corner for a big part of the session. Then she'll get out of the corner, but not talk to anybody. Then she'll say one to four word sentences from time to time. Also, don't touch her; she'll throw a tantrum.

"Juniper talks to plants. People call her crazy, but I believe her when she says that they talk back. I know how she feels," Percy winced a little when I said that, but said nothing and scribbled on his clipboard some more. _See, he thinks you're insane, _the Voices said, but I brushed them off. "Never hurt a plant in her presence, though. She'll literally beat the living crap out of you. She's done it before.

"And then there's Reyna. She has selective mutism. Nobody knows why because obviously she doesn't tell us. But she's a really strong person, a little intimidating, but also very smart and morally inclined."

Percy kept writing on his clipboard. Mali was behind him, and she glared at the back of his head. I didn't tell him.

"Why are you taking so many notes?" I asked.

"I need to understand your personality a little more."

He stopped writing. "Alright, Annabeth. Since you woke up ahead of schedule, you're still on track. You have about 13 minutes to get dressed, brush your teeth, whatever, and then you can take your meds." He said that last part carefully. I saw Mali shake her head furiously and the Voices seemed pretty angry, too.

_DON'T DO IT!_ _DON'T DO IT!_ They chanted it, over and over, until it blended together in a loud monotone. Truthfully, I didn't mind my medications. I mean, what could they do? Drew once told me that if I took them my "hallucinations" would go away. But since they weren't hallucinations in the first place, there wasn't anything they _could_ do except make my head hurt. At least that's what Mali said. Yet she was _extremely _against me taking them.

I shook my head. "No. I'd rather not take them," I whispered; so softly he had to lean in to hear me. My hands curled into fists. I did this whenever a new supervisor asked me about my meds. Then they would try to force me, ultimately leading to them getting an injury. Like Drew, who is now half-bald and paranoid that I'll attack her again. I waited for him to do something, anything really, that would lead to an attack.

"Okay. You don't have to take them if you don't want to," Percy said.

What? "What did you say?" I questioned; completely astounded. Why wasn't he doing anything? What the hell was going on? _It's a trick_, the Voices whispered, but they didn't sound sure. Even Mali looked confused.

"You don't have to take them until you're ready. I'm not going to force you, Annabeth," he held out his hand. "I promise you won't have to take any medicine until you can trust me enough to give it to you."

Usually, this was around the time when I was halfway through attacking whichever supervisor that tried to use "gentle force," as they called it. I was honestly taken aback. But I reached out my hand to shake his anyway.

"Promise."

**Ok this chapter was made mainly to introduce the new characters. I tried to make everything slightly based off their personalities, but I guess it doesn't have to be spot-on, since this is an AU. But I hoped you like it nonetheless. R&R!**

**Oh, and if the part about middle-school girls and Asperger's confused you, some people (typically girls) say that they have "self-diagnosed Asperger's" and that because of this they can say and do whatever they want. They don't really realize that it's a type of autism and that it's serious. It really irritates me because a friend of mine has an autistic sister, whom I ****_adore_****. So if you do it, please stop doing it. :) **


	5. Chapter 5

**I feel like I took too long to update. Did I? Hope not.**

**Thanks to** Cori573, stagamaniac, zia-phoenix-child-of-artemis, PureAwesummness101, IcyRose66, KialaniEvans, honestly i just dont care, BeautifulMystery23, annabeth the wise girl, That Was Such A Face Palm, Huntress in the Night, alyaJackson, AwkwardGems, ChainzOfThePast, DeadlyDaughterOfHermes, Sky and Wind, daughter-of-zues, Lord Of Sky, BlueBerrySourStraps, Gallifrey Dweller, PinkBeAtLeS, . .Years, Autumnal Equinox, Sophie-lyn daughter of Hades, ChildoftheHunt36, blue and silver marble unicorn, maddie4836, serenadaughterofamuselovesni co, percabethandjaliceforever, When turtles fly, SonOfTheOcean, silvershadowrebel, WhosaskingBunny, Aquamarine98, ChildoftheHunt36, Cookie Monster nom-nom, ruby-bee **and any and all epic guests for reviewing/viewing/favoriting (again I don't think that's a word)/following!**

That Was Such A Face Palm **along with** BeautifulMystery23 **also wished me a happy belated birthday, which was pure awesome. So glad I posted that stuff about my birthday, because it really paid off. **

**Also my real-life friend** dizzybuns2 **just wrote a story for Twilight. We're not huge fans but it's fun to write about, and she made it much better (in my opinion). If you could R&R her story that would be great (it's rated M, btw, and with good reason). But only the Twilight one. Don't read the other one. Please. **

dizzybuns2- **My darling J, keep in mind that was trying to make you uncomfortable. And it worked. Oh Lord, did it work. **

(Epic) Guest- **LOL no I'm not mental! :) (But everyone seems to think that I am) My mom's a therapist and sometimes I read her psychology books for fun (Strange, I know). There's also Wikipedia. UNRELIABLE SOURCE MY ASS.**

stagamaniac- **Thanks! But they aren't demigods in this story, it kind of fudges up certain details. But I hope you like it anyway!**

ChildoftheHunt36- **She's just born with it, no real reason. And thank you! **

Artemis-gurl- **Yeah, it's so irritating! I've actually made it a resolution not to say it. It's just so cruel, you know? And selective mutism is when someone who physically can speak chooses not to, either in certain situations or for a majority of their lives, like Reyna. I chose it for her because selective mutes are usually empathetic, highly intelligent, and have a good sense of right and wrong. **

ArtemisandOrion + Katrinaaaa- **I am! I am! I am! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME I'M SORRY!**

**I also FINALLY got rid of that repeating sentence in the first chapter, which is such a relief.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own PJO/HoO. This is FAN fiction.**

Percy

So maybe my decision was a little rash. Just a little bit.

_But she couldn't be that bad_, I figured. I mean, we did have a really great time together. She seemed pretty normal. But then again, I wasn't seeing her every day. But Poseidon had tutored me in psychology and therapeutic techniques since I learned how to read. I knew just as much as any specialist. I was sure it wasn't anything I couldn't handle.

Wow, I was wrong.

After finally getting a job (Yay), Dad took me to the office downstairs. He told me to look up Annabeth on the online filing system and read her records. They went something like this:

_Name: Annabeth Marie Chase_

_Birthday: 01/13/1994__*****__ (19 years old)_

_Hometown: Richmond, Virginia, USA_

_Time in Half-Blood: 5 years as of 02/05/2013_

_Current Supervisor: Perseus Jackson_

I scrolled down to skip most of it, since it didn't seem relevant, until I got to the part labeled "Offenses".

_OFFENSES _

_Biting patient _Octavian August _on the arm-02/07/2008_

_Pushing supervisor _ Jeffery Sadoff _down the stairs-02/08/2008 _

_Physical altercation with patient _Clarisse LaRue_-02/09/2008_

_Second physical altercation with patient _Clarisse LaRue_-02/10/2008_

Holy crap, I thought. She attacked someone pretty much _every day_. The list of offenses was around four pages long, so I skipped to the more recent ones. They weren't much better.

_Breaking into office and spray-painting walls_- 01/13/2013

_Stealing medications of patient_ Lou Ellen Jones- 01/22/2013

_Scratching arm of receptionist/nurse_ Silena Beauregard- 01/26/2013

Okay, so this might be more of a problem than I thought. But I wasn't going to give up. I started reading the notes taken on her, which I would have to update from now on.

_NOTES_

_Chase has an extremely high intelligence, but refuses to utilize full potential_

_Chase has a passion for architecture and music_

_Chase has been diagnosed with dyslexia and possibly has ADHD_

_Chase often speaks to an imaginary friend whom she calls" Mali", although no supervisor has gotten any detail on her_

_Chase often hears and speaks to voices in her head that give her advice and directions_

_Chase is very skilled in martial arts and other fighting techniques_

_Chase can be very manipulative_

_Chase seems to be unaffected by the pain she inflicts upon others_

Note to self- Stop making rash decisions.

XXXXX-LINE BREAK-XXXXX (This all is happening after he talked to Annabeth in the last chapter)

_NOTES_

_Chase is very cautious_

_Chase is very perceptive_

_Chase is protective/defensive of her friends_

Those were the basic point I had gathered so far. I noticed that most of the notes on Annabeth were negative, so it felt good to add some nice ones to the list. I mean she wasn't a _bad_ person.

I was about to enter my observations into the computer when I passed the room I was supposed to hold group therapy in. It was already full, so I guessed that the patients had gotten there early. I heard them talking, so I did what I usually do when I hear people talking behind closed doors. Eavesdrop.

I do this very often, if you hadn't noticed.

"I don't want any of you guys to hurt him," I heard Annabeth say. "And yes, I'm talking to you two."

"Aww, come on, Annie!" a guy said. "We promised we wouldn't make your new boy toy cry! Even if we kinda want to."

"Yeah, Annie, have a little faith!" another guy whined.

"First of all, don't _ever_ call me Annie," Annabeth grumbled. "Second of all, he's not my 'boy toy', you idiots. And lastly, why would I take your word for anything?"

"She has a point," a different girl said. "You guys can be a little cruel. Not like my boyfriend Jake. He was always super sweet! He played with animals, and helped the poor, and volunteered at nursing homes. You guys should really be more like him."

"Jake dumped you, Callie."

"No he didn't. He just needed some time to process everything. He still loves me, all of them do."

"I don't think Callie is right. I think Connor is right. Callie isn't being very smart," another girl said softly. She didn't sound like she was trying to be harsh, just honest.

"Well Rachel is a mean girl!" Callie shrieked.

"No she isn't, and you know that," Annabeth sang-spoke. It seemed to calm everyone down a little bit.

"Why are you so concerned about your specialist, Annabeth?" a guy asked with a slight Spanish accent.

"Yeah you've never cared before! I mean think about all the things you've done to the others," Rachel said.

"I know right? Remember when you pushed Sadoff down the stairs? Too funny!" another girl laughed. The rest joined in.

"Well he's different," Annabeth said quietly. "But he's also late." Crap!

I decided to wait a couple seconds, then walk in like nothing had happened (smooth). Everybody looked almost too normal, like they were trying to play off their gossip session. I set up at the small white table at the corner of the grey, small room. The desk was close to a tiny window and where a girl was curled up. She turned when she saw me coming, then scurried away when she realized I was going to be in close proximity. I looked around the room while setting up.

The girls were on the right side and the guys on the left. Annabeth was sitting in the center of the girls' section, with a dark-haired girl leaning on her shoulder. The dark-haired girl was probably from the Caribbean with her tan skin and dark eyes. She said nothing, but tugged on Annabeth's hair every now and then. Annabeth was talking to a red-headed girl with bright green eyes and freckles. Annabeth seemed a little out of the conversation, but the other girl was talking animatedly. A Native-American looking girl with choppy brown hair and kaleidoscope eyes watched them speak while twiddling her thumbs anxiously, like she was itching to do something. Another girl sat next to her, but was talking to something in her hands. She had long auburn hair, freckles and green eyes. One girl was lying down in front of them while tracing her legs. She was Grecian, and had caramel-colored hair and a peach complexion. The girl in the corner had her back turned to me, but I could tell that she had black hair.

The guys were huddled together as well. There were two guys that looked like twins, since they had matching brown hair and blue eyes, and a Hispanic boy with black hair, brown eyes, and pointed features. None of them looked like they could be trusted with fire, sharp objects, or paint. They looked like they were talking about something exciting, but they kept glancing at me. This made me very, _very_ nervous.

I turned to face them head-on and clapped my hands. "Everybody, listen up," I said, careful not to raise my voice. They turned to face me. Well, most of them did. The corner-girl just sat there and the redhead didn't pay me any attention.

"How about we all sit in a circle and introduce ourselves since I don't know any of you," I said amiably. They looked judgmental, minus Annabeth, and I was nervous despite myself. So this is how a teacher feels, I thought. Good thing I never became a teacher.

We sat down on small white beanbag chairs in an improvised sharing circle; almost like a kindergarten classroom. We started introducing ourselves by saying our names, our ages, and what our condition was (well, not me).

"I'm Perseus Jackson, but call me Percy, and I'm 20," I started. The redhead, who was next to me, grimaced.

"I'm Rachel Elizabeth Dare, people call me Red, I'm 19, I have Asperger's, and I don't like your real name, Percy," she whispered. I had to stop myself from snapping at her for that, since she didn't know any better, but having ADHD makes it a little difficult.

"I'm Piper McLean, I'm 18, and I'm a kleptomaniac," said the girl next to Rachel. "Oh, and Percy, here's your supervisor's pass. I kinda stole it from you. Sorry." I immediately felt my pocket for my pass, and I realized it wasn't there. How did she even do that?

"My name is Calypso, I just turned 18, and I'm only here because I love people too much. Like my boyfriends," she said while rubbing her legs. I looked closer and realized that they were the names of boys, carved into her skin with a razor. Calypso looked at me with interest. "Do you have a girlfriend? I could be your girlfriend."

"That's enough, Callie," Annabeth said tersely. "Well I'm Annabeth, I'm 19, and I see things that other people can't."

"She's crazy," Rachel whispered, so low that only I could hear it. I didn't comment.

"Reyna doesn't talk, so I'm going to speak for her," Annabeth said while looking at Reyna. Reyna traced words on Annabeth's arm and Annabeth said them as she wrote. "My name is Reyna. I am 20 years old. I do not speak, and I haven't since I was 11. But I only came here two years ago."

"I'm Travis," one of the brown haired twins said.

"I'm Connor," said the other.

"We're only 19-,"

"But doctors say we're sadists."

"We can see why."

"People look so pathetic when they cry."

"Dude that rhymed!"

"That's awesome! We're geniuses!" they high-fived and laughed in unison.

"Well I'm Juniper," the auburn-haired girl said softly. "I'm almost 20, and I guess I'm a little like Annabeth. I hear things that people don't. Only plants, though. I like my plants." She held up the thing she was holding, which turned out to be a tiny flower. "This is my friend Jonquilla. She thinks your eyes are pretty."

"I'm Leo, the Awesome Supreme Ruler of le Madhouse, and a 17 year old super-mega genius. And I like fire. _A lot_," He was grinning and fidgeting while talking; his eyes looking everywhere at once. I made a mental note to watch out for him and the twins. "And that girl over there is Katie. She hates everybody."

"That's not true, Repair Boy," Piper snapped, then turned to me. "Katie's 18 and she's scared of people, which there are a considerable amount of in this room." I looked over at Katie, who was still in her corner, but her head was facing us. I waved at her and she turned again, blushing.

"Well," I said. "Now that we all know each other, let's start, shall we?"

**Not my best chapter, but I really wanted to publish something today. I hope you guys enjoyed it anyways, the next one will probably be better. It'll be about the therapy session. R&R!**

***Do they ever say Annabeth's real birthday? I couldn't find it so that's what I'm using.**


	6. Chapter 6

**OK, I'm back now.**

**Thanks to **harryjackson11, berryball, Demigod-Madrigal-Slytherin, Feline Pawprint, Kaleigh-Bee, akd007, playingstupid, Barking Lizards, I'mawesomelivewithit, Sophie6132, Lyrica Daughter Of Apollo, dcbanany, sgleek15, fireball of darkess, intotheoblivion123, May Salome Love, cherrypie98, TheLostRelic,  wisdom conquers all, PercabethGirlForever, Piperness, gadster01, laoibhseferry,  .1, The other Daughter of Athena, hollyleaf988

tiffanyxoxo, **and any epic guests that reviewed/viewed/favorited (I'm making it a word)/following!**

**And thanks to** harryjackson11 **for wishing me a happy birthday! And no, I don't care that it's late. The fact that you wished me one and you don't even know me is pretty awesome. J**

**Special shout-out to** xDelightedDreams **for being the 100****th**** follower and **AwkwardGems **for being the 100****th**** reviewer! A virtual cookie awaits you both. (: :)** **(: :) **

**And to everyone who reviewed, thank you for not killing me. It means a lot. **

Katrinaaaa (Truly EPIC Guest)- **Yay! Glad you like it! And yeah while I was writing it just came to me: Overly Attached Girlfriend goes PJO!**

**And yeah it totally sucks! I wish I could find a cure for writer's block. But I'm probably not going to abandon this. FEAR NOT!**

berryball- **Your reviews both confuse and entertain me. Please continue them.**

blue and silver marble unicorn- **Sorry! I didn't mean for it to be a real cliffie, I just couldn't figure out what else to write at the moment. And I definitely don't want to be like Rick! (HOW COULD YOU DO THAT, RIORDAN?)**

That Was Such A Face Palm – **He really needs to give us that birthday. And yeah, it's not the best, but I'm really happy that you thought it was awesome, anyways! **

infinity heart star lightning**- Wikipedia. :)**

NotsoSugarQueen- **Oh good. I was afraid that I was, so I tried to dial it down. SO glad I didn't ramble (rambles in A/N)!**

AwkwardGems- **No coincidence! It's the power of FTM!**

PercabethGirlForever That Was Such A Face Palm peanutbuttre7**-** **Yeah gymnastics is really fun! Even when you're not that good, like me. :(**

**Everyone knows I don't own PJO. I don't even have to say it.**

Annabeth

This should be good.

Here's a fun fact about me: I rock at reading people, which is an essential survival skill, and I could already pick up some reactions from my friends. Travis, Connor, and Leo were waiting for him to slip up, Piper and Reyna were curious, Rachel didn't care, Katie was scared, Juniper was more interested in Jonquilla, and Calypso was infatuated already. So Percy's in for an interesting time. Especially since Mali was sitting next to me, glaring at him. And Mali could make me do some interesting stuff.

"Who wants to throw out a topic?" he asked.

Calypso raised her hand like she was in kindergarten. "I do! I do!" she shrieked. Typical.

"Alright, Callie," Percy said (Calypso nearly fainted when he called her by nickname). "What's your idea?"

"I want to talk about why we're here. I mean, none of us are really _bad _people or anything, except maybe the Stolls," (Insert maniacal laughs here) "So why do we have to be locked up? I don't want to be locked up for loving people too much." She made puppy-dog eyes at Percy when she said that last part. He didn't notice, but I did. I must've been making a weird face, because Mali tapped my shoulder and made a "remember to smile" gesture.

"Well it's not about being _bad_," Piper said. "It's about being _normal_. And we are very far from normal, my friend."

"I think we're normal," Callie protested. _She's right, _the Voices comforted me. _You're fine, Annabeth._ Mali nodded in agreement and patted my shoulder.

"But you're not. In fact, you are very abnormal, Callie. If you were normal, you wouldn't have all those names on your legs," Rachel said. Callie looked hurt, and started rubbing her hands together furiously.

"Rachel," I whispered. "That was a really low blow. You shouldn't say things like that."

Rachel turned to me, looking genuinely confused. "Why not? It's the truth."

"Yeah, but it's mean! At least sugar-coat it or something."

"Why?" she asked. I sighed in exasperation. I know she's not trying to be irritating, but damn, she's good at it.

"See, Annabeth? I told you Rachel was a little mean," Mali whined. I told her to quiet down so I could hear Percy (which she did _not_ look happy about).

"Well, getting back to what Piper said before," Percy said. "It's not about if you guys are good or bad. It's about how you function and interact with other people." He pointed to the Stolls. "For example, Connor and Travis probably aren't _bad_ people, but the fact that they like watching children cry doesn't exactly make them heroes to society."

Everybody started laughing at the Stolls (who looked pretty pissed off) until Percy calmed us down, even though he was laughing a little bit. It was nice to see a supervisor who did laugh around patients; most of the other ones would just wear tight, annoying smiles every day, as if they didn't want to risk showing emotion in front of "those crazy people". I liked the change, and I could tell the others did, too. Even the Stolls were pleased. Although there was no doubt in my mind that they would happily push him down the stairs if needed.

_Stop that._ The Voices were at it again. Mali glared at me and shook her head. They _really_ didn't like Percy; it wasn't even simple disdain anymore, it was plain enmity. And I didn't even know why. _You don't need to know why, just avoid him,_ they sang softly, almost like their harsh words were a lullaby. It was pretty, but there was still malice underneath it. It was like they were trying to distract me. But I couldn't understand _why._ And I _hate _not understanding.

"Annabeth. Annabeth, what are you doing?" I heard someone shout, yanking me out of my internal battle.

"Sorry, Leo. I was just talking to them," I said. My friends all knew about Mali and the Voices, even if they didn't know some of the details. Everyone was used to me zoning out every now and then. Only Juniper believed that they were real, though. But I couldn't hold anything against them; it's not their fault they're blind, and at least they don't make fun of me.

"Well, I think it's strange that you talk to things that aren't there, Annabeth," Rachel said. Well, Rachel made comments from time to time, but she couldn't help it.

"What were you guys saying while I was blanking out?"

"Well, Travis just threatened to attack me, Reyna signaled to Piper to remind Travis that he's on probation, Travis _and _Connor got upset, Calypso started to freak out and grab my arm, Juniper pulled her off, and that's about it. Oh, and Leo was about to make a point on our topic," Percy answered.

Leo, being the incredibly subtle and modest boy he is, raised his hands and shouted for everyone to quiet down for the Awesome Supreme Ruler of le Madhouse. "So Percy, you were saying that we we're just weird, and that's we're locked up, right?"

"Well not really in those words…"

"But why are we so abnormal? I mean my normal is different from your normal. If we lived in a world where everyone liked to set things on fire, would_ I_ be considered normal? Would that make _you_ the weird kid?"

"Well to answer your question," Connor started. "If everyone liked starting fires, you would be normal. But everyone would also probably be dead or dying." Instead of saying this unhappily, or even sarcastically, Connor seemed to light up.

"I hope everyone doesn't die," Calypso said.

"_I _wouldn't mind that much," Mali smirked. I usually found her sardonic, dark humor amusing, but I was a little uncomfortable when she said that.

"Most people would," I countered.

"But I'm not 'most people'. And neither are you, Beth. We're special, and much, much better."

"Hey, Annabeth, we're still talking!" Piper called. Mali shot her a look, but it was a wasted gesture. It's not like Piper could actually see her.

"Sorry, sorry. What did I miss?"

"Actually, you didn't really miss anything. We only have about... thirty seconds left," Percy said. Everybody stood up to leave (except Katie, who had to be pried out of her corner by Reyna) and said goodbye to Percy (except Katie, who avoided him like he had the plague). So it was just Percy, Mali and I.

"So what did you think of my friends?" I asked.

"I like them, they seem nice. Although I'm a little scared of the Stolls," he laughed. I can't say I wasn't surprised. Most supervisors either don't like us, feel indifferent towards us, or "like" us because it's their job.

"I'm glad. Most people don't say that. Except that part about the Stolls, of course."

"I can imagine. So Annabeth, what's your next session?"

"Outside time, but I never leave Half-Blood. Mali told me that if I leave, people will hunt me down." I checked to see if he would laugh at me, or give me that look that's an irritating mixture of pity and fear. But he just nods.

"That's ok. Poseidon told me that I'm supposed to walk you to your room so I can make sure you don't get into any trouble, so I'm ready when you are."

"How could I possibly get into trouble sitting in my room?"

"You're Annabeth Chase! You could figure out how to do it," he teased. I actually found myself laughing a little bit.

"Alright. I'll try not to do anything _too_ dangerous."

"Glad to hear it."

Before we left, Mali pulled me over to a corner. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"God, Mal, we're just going to my room. All of my supervisors have walked me to my room and you didn't say anything then. Why now? Why him?"

"I. Don't. Like. Him."

"Why not? You hate him, the Voices hate him, and none of you are telling me why. Don't I deserve to know? Can't you at least tell me so I know your reasoning?"

"No. It's not your place."

"Can I at least let him walk me to my room? That's not a big deal," I reasoned.

Mali considered it for a second. "Fine. Go play with your new… _friend_," she hissed. She said that last part like it killed her.

"Thanks, Mal. I owe you one." I reached out to her, but she shrank back.

"You owe me several," she spat, then walked out the room. I felt horrible; we'd _never_ fought like that, and that wasn't even a real fight!

"Are you okay, Annabeth?" I heard Percy ask. I almost forgot he was still in the room.

"Huh? Oh, yeah I'm fine. Just talking to Mali," I sang. Singing was one of the things that could make me feel a little better. But it was only second-best.

Mali was first. Always.

**I would've done better if not for the writer's block. I still have it; it's just not as bad. Hope you guys liked it anyways since it's been a while. R&R!**


	7. Chapter 7

**History Fair: Done. Gymnastics: COME AT ME, BRO!**

**Thanks to** Twin Masks, cupcakeluver111, drpend, Bobz1212, TheEpicalPerson, ABBCD, ericavaldez889, aligning street lights, TailsDoll13, patzhang05, annabethjackson1, hija del mar, PercyJacksonAddict, Poseidonsfavdaughter, simplyhamideh, PPP4eva, LiaTheLaxChick, Kim3375, Just-AWESOME-old-me, KatieElizabethGrace, Puppylove77, stikenotes, teampeeta07, NinjaThiefGirl2013, Merry Harkness, muffins, Wishes, **(last two=Epic Guests) and any other Epic Guests for reviewing/viewing/following/favoriting! **

** (Epic)** Guest- **Hmm.** **Possible. But pranks are not my forte, so if you have suggestion that would rock!**

Wishes **(Epic Guest)-** **Wait seriously? 'Cause I really like bunnies.**

NotsoSugarQueen- **Mali, Y U DO DIS?**

MTrenchRox- **Same.**

sunnyday45- **She's Annabeth's schizophrenia personified, but she doesn't have any special or poetic meaning beyond that. **

Cori573- **This needs to be a T-shirt. I would wear that ALL the time.**

Muffins **(Epic Guest)-** **Even awesomer than pie? That's a lot of awesome. And if you can't picture Mali, just picture the girl from The Grudge; they're not the same, but they look a lot alike (thank you, ****PercabethLOVER) .**

**Also, this chapter is dedicated to** horse-crazy girl13. **Thanks so much! It really means a lot that you did that, and it really made me want to update sooner than I had originally planned. So you can all thank her for this chapter! She has this awesome story called Cinderella that you should read, by the way. **

**Disclaimer: (Do I really need to do this for every chapter?) I don't own PJO.**

Percy

Annabeth is difficult.

Not always, though. But I couldn't understand why she was so happy one second, and then she looked like her grandmother was shot the next. Then again, she was in a mental hospital, so I guess she didn't have to make sense.

After she stopped to talk to her imaginary friend, she seemed to darken. Her eyes were dull and she was hunched over. Instead of happily running down the hallways like she often did, she just trudged along while leaning on the walls for support.

"Annabeth," I said. "What happened?" She looked at me for a moment with a blank expression, and then turned her head.

"Nothing. I'm fine."

"No you're not. If you were okay wouldn't be acting like this."

"I'm fine. I just… want to be left alone, ok?"

"You're lying. Just tell me what's wrong; it's my job to help you," I reasoned. She wasn't looking at me, so I tapped her shoulder to get her attention. She jumped back and gave me another blank look that made me cringe.

"I'm… fine," she choked. "Just a little upset. And I'd rather be alone right now." By that time, we had reached her room, and after entering it, she slammed the door furiously.

XXXX-LINE BREAK-XXXX

I wanted to get familiar with Half-Blood, so I after I left Annabeth I started roaming the halls. It was pretty big, but also very intricate and interesting, so I didn't really mind and it took up time. While I was walking, I saw a flash of bright red hair and pale, freckled skin in an elevator. She recognized me and waved.

"Hi Percy!" Rachel called. She held the elevator door open and I ran in.

"Hey Rachel, how's it going?"

"I'm fine. I'm about to go meet Piper in the art room. Oh, where's Annabeth? I was wondering if she'd like to join us."

"She's in her room. She was acting weird at the end of the session, so she might not want to come."

Rachel tensed a bit. "Percy," she whispered. "What were her exact words? Be specific."

"'I'm fine. Just a little upset. And I'd rather be alone right now.'"

At that time, the elevator opened. But instead of me simply walking out (because nothing can ever be that simple in Half-Blood), Rachel pulled my arm and dragged me down the halls. We wound up in a corner under the stairs that I recognized as the Sanctuary Annabeth told me about. Rachel sat down and yanked my arm down so we were at eye level.

"I am about to tell a story. It is a true story, and very important," Rachel said. "Pay attention."

"You're not the first supervisor Annabeth has truly liked. You're just the second. The first one was a man named Luke Castellan. I remember her saying that she liked him because after he tried to force her to take her meds the first time, he apologized and simply tried to convince her with words. After that, they had this brother-sister relationship and everybody thought that Annabeth had finally taken a turn for the better.

"One day, Luke was talking to Annabeth during a group session, and out of nowhere she seemed upset. She said the exact words she said to you, and then she went to her room. Luke followed her. But he didn't come back to the session. Juniper got worried and told Silena. He was found in the computer lab an hour later. He was bloody, covered with scars and bruises, and unconscious. We later found out that Annabeth beat him, not only with her hands, but with a laptop. Luke lived, but quit after that. Now she doesn't even acknowledge that he existed. If you mention his name, she just looks at you like she has no idea what you're talking about. Piper even showed her a _picture_ of them together, and she just said it must have been photoshopped."

Rachel paused for a moment. "I know that Annabeth tells people that she's not crazy," she whispered. "It's easy to believe her sometimes. But she's lying. Annabeth is _demented._ She will hurt you if needed. Be… careful."

XXXX- LINE BREAK- XXXX

After my ominous conversation with Rachel, I headed back to the staff office to grab some lunch. While doing so, I walked past Annabeth's room (carefully).

"Mali. Oh, Mali, please come back," Annabeth sobbed/shrieked. I heard the sound of breaking glass and I froze.

"I'm so sorry, Mali. Please don't do this to me. You're my best friend. Don't leave me here all alone," she continued. More glass broke. I listened in to her crying, and I honestly didn't mean to stand there for so long, but I guess I lost my eavesdropping skills. I was still there when Annabeth opened the door.

The first thing I saw was Annabeth, who was not only crying, but furious and holding a hammer. The second thing I saw was her room. It was absolutely trashed. The bed was leaning on a wall, the TV had a hole in it, the computer was missing, but I could guess where it was due to the broken window, and each and every tile was cracked and scribbled on. The only objects spared were the pictures of her family; pictures that rested neatly on the floor next to a broken desk. The room stank of Sharpie since she had used one to scribble "Mali" multiple times on the walls.

I was so distracted by the havoc that I forgot Annabeth was standing there, until she spoke. "You," she snarled. "This is _your_ fault. _You_ did this to me."

"Annabeth, you need to calm down. You're not thinking straight and-"

"_NO!" _she cried, throwing the hammer across the room. "This. Is. Your. Fault! You have to pay for it!" she screamed.

Then she lifted up a piece of the broken desk. Then she swung it at my head.

Everything went black after she hit me.

**Just out of curiosity, which do you prefer: Harlem Shake or Gangnam Style?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks to** PjAcTsKg, seaweed brain's wise girl, AshleyDaughterofApollo, Captainforkz, L Lawliet 1979, Proxima103, booklover1209, jackson's sister 12, mcanika, 88Cupid'sChokehold88, Alexandra Jackson rocks Hades, Gray-Mochi, myfabulousity, Twiles, RiptidewandHPPJ, District9and3-4, Alter Server, burning book, SonOfApolloAsian, , Field of Lies, prince of the seas, Together-Indestructible, pupdog2000, LeoHazelForever, terrified-littlehero, uk-loco, Ghirahim is Fabulous, goldenspring, 2DaughtersOfAthena, greencup5, Sebby XP, WisestOwl, GinaOlga, lil Miss Mysterious, Mountain of Sorrow, RavenofSilver, XxxXGreek GeekXxxX, Mazzar, childofwisdom(Epic Guest) **any other Epic Guests for reviewing/viewing/following/favoriting! **

**Shout-out to **Crazy Female LEPrecon **for the birthday wish!**

Twiles- **My friends tell me I'm insane, but my psychologist mother says I'm fine… I'll go with Mom. And I prefer donuts; I have no conception of time, so clocks irritate me.**

jackson's sister 12- **Wikipedia and psychology books are wonderful, wonderful things.** **Oh, you're not weird ****_at all_****. I try to use good grammar whenever I can.**

sunnyday45 + Proxima103 – **I woke up one morning and said to myself, "How can I troll someone today? Wait a minute, FANFICTION!"**

RavenofSilver- **Thanks! Unfortunately, I can't tell you guys how I came up with this story because it might lead you to believe that I'm mentally disturbed.** **I'm not, by the way.**

Together-Indestructible + horse-crazy girl13- **I already knew it was you because you mentioned it in ****_Cinderella_****. I also went on the page and read the stories, which I loved (Does that make me sound like a stalker? I hope not.) And a MILLION thanks for your awesome review!**

seaweed brain's wise girl- **Well** **I'm definitely glad it doesn't suck! And thanks for favoriting!**

May Salome Love – **I laughed a little while writing it.**

burning book- **Well some of those ideas don't really fit with the plot, but I did like some of them. I'm just not telling you which ones (They see me trollin'. THEY HATIN'). **

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO. You know this. **

Annabeth

26 times. That's how many times I beat Percy Jackson.

He was already knocked out with that blow to the head, so I figured I could go a little further than I usually do. I was very proportionate about it. With my hands I did 2 in each arm, 2 in each leg, 2 in the head, 2 in the stomach and 2 in the neck. With my feet I did the same, except I also added 6 in the balls (he cringed). Then I pushed his unconscious body down the stairs.

And I felt absolutely horrible.

It was his first real day **(A/N: Seems a lot longer, in my opinion.) **as my supervisor and I had already caused him bodily harm. It wasn't that I wanted to hurt him; not really. It was Mali who wanted him out, and she always came first. She came back the moment his body hit the bottom of the staircase, clapping and smiling.

"Good job, chéri. I'm so proud of you. But you'll have to be punished in some way. It's only fair," she said. And she did punish me, or at least make me punish myself. The tiny cuts adorning my waist were solid evidence.

I reported myself right away, since I didn't want Percy to get a concussion. It was bad enough watching the nurses drag his body away to the nearest hospital, but I felt like crap when Poseidon came. He didn't yell at me or punish me, but instead gave me a long, hard look that showed a single emotion: disappointment. Then he shook his head. And that was a lot worse than any punishment he could've inflicted.

"Cheer up, Anna," Mali said sympathetically. "You did the right thing. He wasn't good for you; he wasn't good for us. I know you feel bad, but it's better this way, trust me."

I just nodded and smiled at her. I was glad that she was trying to be nice to me, but it didn't really get rid of the guilt. I imagined it as a tiny animal nibbling at my stomach. _Munch, munch, munch. _

After convincing (read: threatening) Silena, I was able to find the hospital Percy was being kept at. It was down the street and called Apollo's Medical Center. Of course, there was no way I was leaving Half-Blood. There are _way_ too many people after me. At least Half-Blood was a _little_ bit private. So I called Apollo's to get more information on Percy's condition.

"Hello?" said a man on the other end of phone.

"Hi, I'm trying to get information on a patient. His name is Perseus Jackson and he just came in today."

"Well we're not allowed to give information on patients unless you are a relative."

"I'm his sister Jade," I blurted out. I hoped that he wouldn't check Percy's family records.

"_Really _now? What are his, supposedly your, parents' names?"

"Our dad's name is Poseidon Olympia, our mom's name is Sally Jackson, and our step-dad's name is Paul Blofis."

"Hm. Seems legit." he said.

Wow, the quality of the service was astounding.

"Well," he started. "Percy Jackson's injury is not as fatal as it appears. He has many scars and he was in danger of having a concussion earlier. There is a knot forming on his head and he remains unconscious. However, this is easily treated and it shouldn't take long for him to heal. This is no worse than a three-way bicycle accident."

"When will he out of the hospital?"

"Definitely by tomorrow, I promise you."

The Next Day

Percy was still in the hospital, despite what the guy on the phone said. Douche.

XXXX-LINE BREAK-XXXX

Percy was back at the center the day after that. Everybody was happy to see him, despite his condition. He was still scratched up and bandaged, and I could see the small, red bump on the left side of his head. Percy looked alright, but a little weakened. I wondered how he would react to seeing me. The only reason he hadn't yet was because I practically stalked him since the moment he walked through the doors. Mali told me not to talk to him unless there was a "good" reason, but she said nothing about _watching_ him.

I felt like Calypso.

Mali told me that I could apologize if I _really_ had to, but I didn't think I could. The entire experience seemed like a flash of déjà-vu, with me beating up a special supervisor and feeling bad about it. But I couldn't remember any exact details. It made me feel funny.

_If you don't remember, it doesn't matter,_ the Voices reasoned. I nodded in agreement. Unfortunately, while I was nodding and listening, I bumped directly into Percy Jackson.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-Annabeth?" Percy gaped.

"Um, hi Percy," I said weakly. I mean, I _assaulted_ the guy and put him in the hospital. Starting a conversation? Awkward.

"Hey, Annabeth how's it going?" he said. Wait, what? I almost killed him and he just starts up small talk like nothing happened?

"Uh, fine I guess. Percy," I said slowly. "Um, I have to ask, why aren't you mad? You were in the hospital because of me."

"Well I said I'd be your supervisor and I plan to do that. You probably weren't in control when you lashed out. I'm mad at you, make no mistake, but _definitely_ not as mad as I could be. You'll get through this, and so will I."

"So, let me get this straight," I began. "You're _still_ my supervisor and you're only _half_ mad at me?"

"Yes." Damn, this guy is weird.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Mali watching us, shaking her head. She walked over to me with a bounce in her step and draped her arm over my shoulder like she was about to tell me good news or idle gossip. How ironic, considering what she really said.

"Well _he's_ going to be a little hard to get rid of, won't he?" she giggled.

**Here are the results for my mini-poll: **

**Harlem Shake:12 Gangnam Style:3 Both:1 Neither:2 **

**I did the same poll with my class and most people said Harlem Shake, too. I like both.**

**Also, I was thinking about posting a companion fic to this. It would be a series of one-shots about the patients. If you think I should, could you tell me in the reviews? I'm probably going to post it anyway, but I want to see who would read this when I do. **

**R&R&R! **


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks to **TheWall1706, zoew, Captainforkz, XxxXGreek GeekXxxX, WingDawn98, prince of the seas, GinaOlga, PPP4eva, infinity heart star lightning, Bluestar4ever, i dream of faraway places, emblah01, 16thmoon, ApolloRox, As-The-Fire-Blazes, Awkward15, Bluestar4ever, gotrice98, Bobz1212, Bookworm1997, CRAZYYNESS, CelloDude8432, Chaynal, DJ Awesome101, Lalaortiz92, Life's a Happy Song, Princess Annabeth Weasley Fowl, TheKingOfAtlantis, jajaaah, sokkarocks, Theimaginenation, WingDawn98, XxFlameofDeathxX, XxMidnightSolsticexX, alilrose, LullabyOfAMisguidedGhost, OceanBlueSeaEyes, PercabethandAntiThalico, child-of-cabin-nine, fanficrulz1, figuresk8ergirl3, aggietastic, glitter puppy, xXxgossipgirlxXx, ShirlyLovesPJO, Chubbypandaz, OceanBlueSeaEyes, xXxJaceInWonderlandxXx, ChildOfSea, SeaweedBrain'sWiseGurl393, BritneySolace10 (Epic Guest), thegreyeyedgirl (Epic Guest), YayPercabeth123 (Epic Guest), **and any other Epic Guests who viewed/reviewd/followed/favorite! **

**I was reading the reviews and I must say, LOL everybody hates Mali! Don't worry; she'll get what's coming to her.**

Finding Adventures- **I honestly don't know why the chapters are getting shorter, I noticed it too. I just finished testing so maybe that's it. I'm happy that you like it though!**

TailsDoll13- **SUCK ON THAT, MAL! And I guess that she has. I'll address that in the companion fic. **

gotrice98 – **Jesus, because kittens don't eat thunderbolts.**

ShirlyLovesPJO – **I see your point but a lot of people seem to want it. You also get a special shout-out with cookies attached because I used to have a hermit crab. (::) (::) (::) (::) (::)**

Guest- **Wakward. I'm going to use that someday.**

Mountain of Sorrow – **They put cookies in donuts? Why haven't I heard about this?**

horse-crazy girl13 – **I got really sad when you said that last part! And I know this sounds really stupid and cliché, mainly because it is stupid and cliché, but it actually does get better, even if it doesn't seem like it. Trust me, I'm a doctor. I went to FCC Fake Community College.**

WisestOwl- **Yeah my chapters keep getting shorter! I'll try to make them longer, but I can't make any solid promises. **

7NationArmy- **I LOVE reading reviews like this! Thank you an infinite amount of times!**

**Also, as for Percy's quick forgiveness, read **7NationArmy'**s review. It has a pretty brief yet accurate explanation in it. **

**Disclaimer: Me no own PJO. **

**Warning: This chapter will be really, really, _really_ short since I have writer's block. And I'm late. So you're going to hate me when you read this. **

Percy

I hated Annabeth Chase.

Don't get mad; I only hated her for 72 hours _tops_. But can you seriously blame me? She beat me up and pushed me down the stairs. Most people don't forgive that easily. Of course, I have to subtract the hours I was unconscious from the 72 I mentioned earlier. I wasn't really feeling anything then.

But I did promise to "cure" her. Besides, something was off when I last saw her. She seemed rally unfocused. Sure it could have been a trick of the light or the fact that she's insane, but it threw me off whenever I thought about it. I was still mad though. I mean, I'll probably never have kids. Ever.

I _was_ pretty happy to be so well-received at the group session. But I do wish it could've been a little less painful. Unfortunately, people in this center seem to like jumping me.

"Percy!" I heard someone shriek. Then I hit the floor while a mass of brown hair smothered me.

"OhmyGodIthoughyouweredeadIca n'tbelieveAnnabethdidthattoyou whenyouaresoniceholycrapAnna bethhowcouldyoudothattohimbu titdoesn'tmatternowbeacauseyou'resafeandIloveyou!" Calypso screamed while crying hysterically. I looked up to see Reyna who mouthed "no meds."

Piper pried Calypso off of me and helped me get up. Unfortunately, Callie just pulled me into a really tight hug and kept me that way. "Sorry about that," Piper laughed and motioned to Calypso, "Callie's been a little on edge ever since we heard about the… incident. Glad you're back, though. Your replacement was _soo_ dull."

"No way! That guy was so fun to mess with!" Travis or Connor protested.

"Totally," Connor or Travis agreed, "He burst out crying when we-"

"That's enough, boys," Annabeth cut in, "We don't want to scare Percy any more than we already have."

"Don't you mean more than _you_ already have?" Rachel asked innocently, "_You're_ the one who beat him up."

Annabeth looked past her for a moment and shook her head, "Oh, stop it, Mal," she said.

"Annabeth, who are you talking to?" Leo asked. Annabeth blinked and turned towards him.

"Mali."

"You mean your imaginary friend?" Rachel asked.

"Yes, Rachel, my imaginary friend," Annabeth sighed while looking at her feet.

"Well," Juniper piped up while holding a budding daisy, "My new friend Adaishia got here while you were gone, so maybe we could all catch up during the group session."

I smiled, grateful for everyone's kindness. "Sure, why not? Although I'm going to warn you, not much happens in hospitals."

**Annnnd that's it. Yeah, I know it's insanely short, but I wasn't exaggerating when I said I had severe writer's block for this story. My muse is weird, but she did give me an idea for a one-shot that I posted. So I guess you can read that.**

**Also I made a very small change in chapter 7. It's not really noticeable, and it has more impact in the one-shot series than this one. But it's still there. **

**I'm hoping my next update will be a looooooooooooot better. Key word being "hoping".**

**R&R&R (or not since it's pathetic)**


	10. Chapter 10

**THE COMPANION FIC IS UP! It's called Welcome to Half-Blood (I'm changing the name later) and the first one-shot is on Calypso (it's around 2000 words to make up for the last chapter).**

**Thanks to **Gold Testament, NeonHedgehog, Kat567, JustEmmaIsFine, Lucy-Annabeth Pevensie, SeventhWheel, dragonrider710, AnnaTonitini, Jenni16316, Quieteyes5, Head Over Heels Is Standing, foreverfanfiction, DaughterofAthena1234, Ridinggrl27, The truth behind her eyes, SonOfPoseidon05, athena-gia-ma'at, heycupcake915, lightgirl346, WingDawn98, greekgodsaresupersuperawesome, thegreyeyedgirl,(Epic Guest) Die hard fan, (Epic Guest) Kari jones, (Epic Guest) **and any other Epic Guests that viewed/reviewed/followed/favorited.**

**So many reviews are about much people hate Mali! I can just imagine her reading them with an "IDGAF" expression.**

Gold Testament-** Probably not. I think she'd be disappointed.**

TailsDoll13- **HE LIES. Crazy things happen in hospitals…**

Crazy Female LEPrecon – **She talks to Mali like she would talk to anybody else, her friends notice it (they think she's crazy!) But she talks to the Voices both in her head and verbally. **

burning book- **10,000 words is so many… But I did like that idea!**

AshleyDaughterofApollo- **THANK YOU!**

TheKingOfAtlantis**- That is a good idea, but I already have the basic plot mapped out. I just have a problem with the little flier details.**

Thegreyeyedgirl- **COOKIES! And thanks for the idea but I already have a plan for Thalia. I did have a lovely mental image of Thalia pushing Percy down the stairs when I read that, so I'm in a better mood now.**

Guest- **That is really fitting, actually.**

annabethjackson1- **I would like to thank the academy…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO. Shocking.**

Annabeth

Somebody kill me.

Group session was fine. There were other people there, and all the attention was mainly on Calypso since she was practically sitting on Percy's lap while asking him stupid questions.

"Did you have fun?" He was in a hospital, Calypso. A _hospital_.

"Did you miss us?" Doubt it.

"Aren't you _so_ mad at Annabeth for beating you up?" Thanks for that, Callie, I appreciate it.

I've always liked Calypso, but I would've killed her at that moment.

It was the one-on-one session I was afraid of. I knew that he had forgiven me, but he couldn't be _completely _pleased with me. So the one-on-one would probably one of the most awkward moments of my life. Mali was more pissed than I was, though. The idea of me being a room alone with him seemed to make her soul commit suicide.

The events after the session were a blur. The most significant things that happened before the one-on-one were Percy walking me to my room (awkward) and Calypso stalking him around the center (hilarious). So then, hours later, it was finally time. Joy.

XXX-LALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALA -XXX

It started out amiable enough. Key word being _started_.

"Hey, Annabeth," Percy said without a trace of bitterness. "Come on in." I sat down on the worn leather chair by the window. This session room was different from the others; instead of being chrome and white, it was brown and cozy with plush leather chairs and a schoolteacher desk. It reminded me of one of those studies in old British movies. Next to my room, it was my favorite place in Half-Blood.

Percy sat behind the desk to look at me directly. I didn't say anything, just stared into his ocean-like eyes until he had to look away. Upon further inspection, I realized that he was probably more nervous than angry; his black hair was damp with sweat and clung to his neck and forehead and he kept pulling at the collar of his green shirt. Is he scared of me? I thought.

_Probably,_ the Voices teased. _You could've killed him. Besides, why would you_ care_ if he was scared of you? It wouldn't mean anything; it's not like you guys could date, or even be _friends_. Don't be stupid, Annabeth, you're so much better than that._

Ouch, that hurt a little bit. I thumped my head to get back at them (Ok, that might've been stupid since they're in _my _head, but still.) and they quickly shut up.

"So," Percy said, "I'm going to ask you some questions, you'll answer them, blah, blah, blah. You know the procedure. Don't be surprised by the questions, I promise you that I know what I'm doing. So are you ready?" I nodded.

"Good. Let's start."

XXXXX-LALALALALALA-XXXXX

"When did you notice those voices and your friend…Molly?"

"Mali."

"Right. When did you realize that they were there?"

I thought back to the dark, lonely times when they weren't with me. "I was around 5, I think. I just remember waking up one day with new friends." He began to write what I said in that notebook.

"When and how did you realize that nobody else could see them?" he asked once he was finished.

The memory was too clear.

_It was a normal day at George Washington Day Care. The kids were playing outside in their mini-cliques; the girls were playing hopscotch and the boys played kickball. The only common ground was chalk, where the genders could come together to create _glorious_ masterpieces of stick figures and square houses. Nothing was out of the ordinary._

_ Except for one little girl._

_ Little Annabeth wasn't one of the "weird" kids or anything, not yet. In fact, she was one of those girls that everybody was on good standing with. She was nice, smart, and fun; what's not to like? Her only oddity was her "imaginary" friend. She would talk to her all the time, much more than she would to a teacher or even a friend. But it wasn't a big deal to people. Lots of kids in her class had imaginary friends, so Little Annabeth was considered just another one of the creative kids. At least she was until that very day._

_ Sonía Ricardo was idly drawing a chalk stick-figure family and a flower garden on the blacktop when Little Annabeth walked up to her. Sonía and Little Annabeth were good friends, so she didn't think anything of it. Although Little Annabeth's cold expression was a little daunting._

_ "Hey _Anita_!" Sonía said using Little Annabeth's Spanish nickname (Little Annabeth hated being called Annie. Actually, Older Annabeth hated it, too.). "You wanna help me finish my drawing?"_

_"Sonía," Little Annabeth said coldly, "have you been spreading lies about me?" Her face was like a marble statue: cold, pale, and unemotional. Sonía began to realize that something was seriously wrong with her friend. She dropped her pink chalk and quickly stood up to look Little Annabeth in the face. Little Annabeth turned to look at the piece of chalk. She stared hard at it like it held all the secrets of the universe. Sonía tapped her on the shoulder in attempt to shake her out of her daze, to no avail. Then Little Annabeth abruptly walked over to the discarded chalk and stomped on it repeatedly until it was crushed into pastel-pink dust. She then turned to give Sonía a murderous, hateful glare. Her grey eyes burned holes into her friend's skin, literally making her itch._

_ "Sonía," Little Annabeth sighed dramatically, "I thought we were friends. I can't believe this."_

_ "What are you talking about?" Sonía whined. "I've never said anything about you! You're my friend."_

_ "You're a liar. I _know _you've_ _been spreading lies," Annabeth insinuated, then pointed at Mali, who appeared next to her to watch the scene. "She told me."_

_ Sonía looked at the space with a confused expression. "Who's 'she'?"_

_ "Mali. My friend. She told me that you've been talking about me and so did the Voices. They would never lie to me, unlike you." Sonía almost laughed, thinking it was a joke. Not funny._

_ "_Anita_-"_

_ "Don't _ever_ call me that again, Ricardo," Little Annabeth spat._

_ "Annabeth, there's nobody next to you," Sonía whispered fearfully, her voice trembling slightly. "I don't see anyone."_

_ The rage in Little Annabeth's eyes intensified until Sonía had to look away. "Of _course_ there's somebody there. Her name is Mali and she's my friend and she told me that you're a liar." Little Annabeth looked over to Mali. She seemed pretty obvious to her, with her large oval eyes and lack of clothing. Mali grinned at her to show her support then pointed to Sonía with an odd smile that screamed "_finish her_"._

_ "You're stupid, Sonía," Little Annabeth said, "if you can't see someone who's right in front of you." Sonía glared at her for a moment and then grabbed a mutual friend who walked by. _

_ "Daniel," Sonía asked, "look over next to Annabeth." Daniel glanced over at the space Sonía gestured towards. _

_ "What am I looking at?" he asked. Sonía gave Little Annabeth a triumphant look._

_ "See? There's nothing there," she mocked, no longer in fear. Mali put a hand on Little Annabeth's shoulder to comfort her._

_ "Hey everybody!" Sonía suddenly shouted. "Everybody_, _look! _Anita_ is crazy! Crazy!_"

_The kids stopped and turned at Sonía's words. Murmurs of "Annabeth's crazy?" rang in Little Annabeth's ears. A lot of kids had imaginary friends, but they never really believed that they were real, and they never would've started a fight over one. Little Annabeth and Sonía were like sisters; why would they argue over an imaginary friend?_

_ "I think she's messing with us," one kid said._

_ "Maybe she's playing around."_

_ "What are you talking about?" Little Annabeth protested. "She's right there! She's right there! Why can't you guys see her?" Mali sat on the ground and said nothing, just looked up at Little Annabeth with a grim expression. _

_ "This is getting weird," whispered Jolene Katz, a girl notorious for her distorted view of reality. _

_ "She's right there!" Little Annabeth was still screaming when the teachers came. They tried to calm her down, but she was beyond help. Little Annabeth began to kick and rip out her own hair until they had to call her parents. _

_ "She's real! She's real!"_

I slumped down in my chair like I had just run a marathon. My nails were embedded in the arms of the chair. Percy was giving me a concerned look.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," I panted. "That just brings back bad memories. It was when my parents started to think I was weird. They didn't say it outright; they just looked at me differently. But they still thought I just had an imaginary friend."

"Were they unkind in any way?"

"No, but I felt like I did something to upset them. If it weren't for Mali and the Voices I would have been the loneliest kid on earth." It felt weird to tell Percy my more intimate thoughts. With all my other supervisors, I just talked about my life like I wasn't a part of it. I gave general information in a stoic manner. But Percy was easy to talk to.

_That's because he's manipulative,_ the Voices snapped. _You'll see. You should trust us more._ I wished they would stop bring so cryptic and just tell me what's going on!

"Annabeth!" Percy said as he snapped his fingers in my face, causing me the blink. "Sorry, you zoned out for a moment. I was going to ask you another question, are you ready?" I nodded.

"Good. Annabeth, what were the best moments in your childhood?" I looked for signs of sarcasm, but I didn't find anything.

"Um, I had a lot considering everything. But what does that have to do with anything? Aren't you supposed to be quote-unquote treating me? The question seems a bit out of place."

"Remember when I told you that you shouldn't get freaked out by the questions? This is one such question. Trust me, I know what I'm doing. Dad's been training me to be a psychologist since I could read." He was smiling, and didn't look manipulative at all. He only looked like he cared. All he wanted to know was how I grew up. Then again, manipulators usually don't show their colors until you're already a goner.

"Well, it was pretty cool", I admitted. "I might not even be able to pick a single memory." I told him about my Civil War era house with the playground-like backyard. I talked about my smart, kind father and my beautiful genius of a mother. I told him about my mother's death, and how I was lonelier and sadder than ever. That was when I started relying on Mali more. I told him about meeting Susanna and how the first thing I did to her was rip out a piece of her hair (He laughed but tried to cover it up.). I even talked about how when Matthew and Bobby were born, I thought they were dolls for a second and dropped them on their heads (Suzy jokingly blames me for their behavior.). I went on and on about little, insignificant pieces of my life until I couldn't think of anything.

"Spilling your life story to a stranger," Mali chided from her hiding spot behind my chair. "I thought I taught you better." I nearly jumped out of my seat.

"God, Mal, you scared me!"

"Oops," Mali giggled cheekily. "Sorry, sweetheart."

"Who are you talking to? Is it Mali?" Percy asked from across the desk. Mali gave him _that look_.

"Yes. She was hiding behind my chair."

"Alright," Percy said like he had expected it. "I actually would like her here while I ask you this last question." Weird, most supervisors never acknowledged my "strange hallucinations." "Is she listening?" he asked.

I looked over at Mali, who nodded her head while looking at Percy. "Yes, she is."

"Good. So I was checking your records from the tutoring you take here, and I noticed that your grades are surprisingly low. You seem like a smart girl; can you explain this?" I tensed up. He's right. My grades are in the toilet, but I'm not an idiot. I actually like learning, especially about architecture. I want to be an architect when I get older. That way I can build something permanent and beautiful and _everybody_ would be able to see it.

_Annabeth_, the Voices warned at the same time Mali tapped my hand, _don't think like that._ I chided myself silently; Mali hates it when I talk about architecture.

"I just don't like school," I lied.

"Annabeth, I know that's not true. I can tell. I just want to know why you don't try in school."

I paused. I actually didn't know the answer to that. The only reason I didn't try was because Mali told me that I shouldn't, and I didn't know her reasoning. I was going to lie further when I noticed Mali's black eyes studying me. Then she leaned towards my ear.

"Just tell him everything I'm about to tell you, got it?" I nodded.

"It's not that I'm dumb," she began.

"It's not that I'm dumb," I repeated.

"I just don't think school is a necessity." I repeated what she said.

"After all, I'm institutionalized and I'm probably not leaving," Mali said with her airy, resonating voice. I echoed her every word.

"So it probably would be a waste of time to try for straight A's and such." She finished as I mimicked her.

Percy gave me a weird look. "That doesn't sound like you, Annabeth," he said.

"What do you mean?" I asked while Mali gave Percy her special glare that she reserved just for him.

"I mean that that didn't sound like something you'd say. It sounded like someone else." Curse his surprising intelligence.

"Well, you're wrong," I said indignantly, quick to defend myself (even though he was right). "And stop playing with my head!"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm talking about the mind games." I didn't even know what I was talking about, but I _hate_ being called a liar (even if I am) and the Voices had brought it up anyway. "Asking questions about my childhood and my grades; what does any of this have to do with me 'getting better' anyway?" I yelled.

_He's messing with you,_ the Voices said. _Don't you see what he's doing? We told you he was bad news. You should listen to Mali, she knows what's best for you._ My head started to ache with every word. It was like my mind was a balloon and someone was trying to blow it up until it went POP! I felt like the pressure of having the Voices in my head was building up and threatened to burst my skull open.

"Annie, are you ok?" Percy and Mali asked in unison. **(A/N: So, Annie, are you ok? Are you ok, Annie?**

I wanted to say, _don't call me "Annie"_, but my head hurt too much to let me make any sound other than a moan.

"C'mon," Percy said as he lifted me up bridal-style. "I'm taking you to the nurse, ok?" I couldn't respond, and even if I could've, the sweat raining from my scalp would've dripped into my mouth and drowned me.

XXX-HI-XXX

A part of my mind could feel me being carried downstairs, but a majority of my mind was shutting down. I tried to remember what I was doing or who was carrying me, but everything came up blank. Opening my eyes didn't help, my vision was turning a reddish-black color and I couldn't see.

_The balloon's popping_, the Voices whispered frantically. At least I remembered them.

I felt myself being hastily dropped on a cot, with two guys next to me. One of them was yelling something at me and trying to get my attention.

"Annabeth!" he said. "Annabeth you have to…! If…rid of the pain…medicine." That's all I heard. The rest got lost as I slipped in and out of consciousness.

"You…take the pills…won't go." he yelled in my face. I managed a weak nod. I would do anything to get rid of the knives in my skull.

I felt something small and round get shoved down my throat, and then something cool and wet. It wasn't water, but I was happy to focus on its cold sensation.

Then I passed out for real.

**Yes, I'm alive. I'd like to say that I was sick or something and that's why I didn't update, but I can't. School is very difficult, however. Sorry for any mistakes; half of this was done on my phone and I wasn't able to edit it because I was rushing.**

**RANDOM QUESTION: Which do you think is the most stupid out of the Knife Game and the Condom Challenge? (If you haven't heard of/watched them just look them up on YouTube. The Condom Challenge is pretty gross, though.)**

**R&R&R!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Special shout-out to** HoangMai, **the 300****th**** reviewer!**

annabethjackson1- **I shall reveal that later! (Trolol) Oh I didn't think you were being mean, you actually made me laugh! (WEED LOL)**

glitter puppy – **I didn't think about that reliability thing, but I'm considering it now. **

Review review(Epic Guest)- **Real Percabeth doesn't come until later (I know it's killing me too). It did in a way. Headaches do happen sometimes, but I don't think that they're a super-common symptom, and I dramatized it a lot. Yes, he more-or-less shoved it down her throat. She might. Eventually.**

PPP4eva- **She thinks that Mali is a person, but a special type of person. Yes, Annabeth can touch Mali just like she could any other person (I didn't make that up, real schizophrenics can feel their hallucinations.).**

Thegreyeyedgirl(Epic Guest)- **My treatment is a combination of real treatments and stuff I made up for the sake of the story, so it's about half-accurate. Thalia will actually be pretty vital later on. And as for Annie, she doesn't know if she's ok. She was hit by one smooth criminal**.

TailsDoll13- **Mali is now in hiding due to Gamzee.**

Abaratian prince –**Yup.**

Hunter of Artemis101- **I like Mali, too. I don't even know why.**

diomedes285 – **I say we add Justin Bieber and One Direction to that list.**

Mentally treated (Epic Yet Scary Guest)- **I UPDATED SEE, SEE! NOW YOU WON'T KILL ME, RIGHT? I'M SCARED! :O**

Abaratian oddity (Epic Guest)– **Some of them are more stable and closer to being let go, and Rachel isn't psychotic at all. Annabeth, Calypso, Reyna, and Katie are the least stable. I think the Stolls might torture somebody in the companion fic later on (Tee-hee).**

(Epic) Guest- **I know! I'm really bad at things that involve consistency, so I apologize for that. I'll try to get better, I promise!**

Percy

I was a god.

At least in the eyes of the hospital staff, I was. A walk down the hall meant at least 6 pats on the back, 3 high-fives, and 1 "You're a legend!" One of the other guys who worked there, Grover, told me that I would forever be known as the guy who finally got Lilith (That's the _affectionate_ little nickname they gave Annabeth.) to take her medications. Of course, shoving the pills down her throat and washing them down with a half-empty bottle of Gatorade wasn't very professional, but details aren't important.

Oddly enough, the only person who wasn't happy with me was my dad. He was actually really pissed off. Apparently, asking somebody for consent while they're only half-conscious can be considered unethical. In my defense, I did have Annabeth's consent because I asked if she wanted to take it. Poseidon didn't see things from my point of view.

"She couldn't even walk, Percy," Poseidon chided. "How could you think that she could make a rational decision? You realize that she could very well press charges if she desired?"

"I asked her if she wanted to take it and she said yes," I repeated. "I don't see the problem. It's not like I forced her or anything."

"Look, Percy," Poseidon sighed, "I know you were trying to do something good, but what you did wasn't right. If Annabeth was barely conscious, you technically didn't have the right to give her that medicine. What if she wakes up and gets mad at you? What she attacked you again? I doubt she would hesitate to do so."

"Gods, Dad, you make it seem like I roofied her or something. She was still awake when I asked her."

"She was having a violent headache that disabled her ability to function properly." Not like she was functioning properly before.

"What was that about anyway?" I asked.

"Sometimes schizophrenics have violent headache spasms. They're not that common, but they're very painful. Annabeth's are rare and triggered by stress. **(A/N: This is only half true for real schizophrenics for those curious about the medical accuracy.) **Were you doing anything that might've upset her?"

"Yes," I said truthfully, "we were talking about her favorite hallucination and her schoolwork." I thought back on that conversation for a moment. It was weird how Annabeth felt about Mali, who wasn't even _real_. I couldn't even comprehend her obsession, and I never would be able to no matter how long I studied. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought Mali was a real person. I had no idea how Annabeth saw her, but whenever I thought about her I pictured a professional puppet master playing Annabeth like a living marionette.

"Yes, those are very sensitive subjects for her. I'm surprised you're not injured; I was sure you would get hurt when you brought that up." Thanks for the vote of confidence, Daddy.

"So…am I off the hook for what? Because I really should get back to work."

Poseidon looked up at the sky and sighed, almost like he was saying, _Gods give me the strength not to slap this child._ It was like being 12 all over again. "I suppose you are, as you put it, 'off the hook'. But the next time you try to medicate a schizophrenic while they're half passed out, at least tell me beforehand so I can make up some excuse in court.

Some people are so dramatic.

XXX-LINE BREAK-XXX

"Percy!" Leo yelled as he ran down the hall towards me (4 high-fives and a pat on the back so far.). When he got closer, I noticed the crazy glint in his eyes was even more intense, and his toothy grin made him look like one of those demon children on television. Joy.

"So, Percy," Leo said in a weird, clipped way, "I need you to do me a favor."

"What did you do?"

"It's not important," Leo laughed. "All that matters is that you tell my supervisor that I went that way." He pointed to another hallway on our right. "Got it? Get it? Good."

"Leo Valdez, get back here!" I heard Leo's supervisor Khione scream from down the hall.

"Gotta go, bye!"Leo chirped and ran off down the left hallway as Khione trudged up to me. Her hair was singed at the edges and her white skirt was blackened and crumbling. Oh no…

"Where's my patient," she snapped at me. I can see why Leo didn't like her very much.

"Um, I don't know. What'd he do?" I asked cautiously.

"He set somebody's bed on fire! He just got yet _another _hate letter from his deranged aunt, so now he's all pissed. And guess whose job it is to calm him down? _Mine_. Hate this so much!" she growled.

"Well, he went that way," I said as I pointed to the direction Leo ran. Figured it would be better to have him get caught than to have him set something else on fire, even if I did like the guy. Khione flashed me a tight but grateful smile and walked off.

"Congrats on taming Lilith, by the way!" she called over her shoulder. Seems like Annabeth had quite the reputation. Speaking of which, she walked over to me a little after my encounter with Khione. Her white dress was slightly burned as well.

"Let me guess, Leo?"

Annabeth laughed, but it was a weary, forced one. "Yeah. He came in because he was upset about his aunt, then he asked me if he could light my bed. I didn't even get to answer before he brought out the matches and rubbing alcohol."

"Where did he get _that_?"

"Piper, she robbed a 7-Eleven. The Stolls helped out a little. They're getting chewed out, too. I'm going to be staying in Reyna's room for a little bit." She started tugging her white-blond hair and chewing her lip halfway through her words. She looked nervous and scared.

"Annabeth, are you ok?"

"No," she sighed. "I still feel a little faint, and my friends are acting funny."

"Which friends? Leo and Piper?"

"No, Mali and the Voices. **(A/N: Mali and the Voices sounds like a cool band name to me…) **The Voices are quieter and Mali wasn't around that much today." The medicine must've been kicking in; it wouldn't completely erase the hallucinations without time and therapy, but they would fade for a while until the medicine wore off**.**

"You gave me the anti-psychotic medications," she said, and it wasn't a question.

"Yes," I admitted. "But it was the only way to get rid of the headache. I'm _really _sorry, Annabeth, I really am. In my defense, you did give me permission. But please don't be mad!" Annabeth just stood there for a moment, expressionless. Well, I thought, time to make a hospital reservation.

"I'm not mad."

"_Gods, please don't_- wait, what?"

"I'm not mad," she said calmly. "I'm being honest."

"Wait, you're seriously not mad?" She shook her head. "Not at all? Not even a little bit?"

"Nope," she laughs, a real one this time. "I was at first, but I'm not anymore. Mali and the Voices don't like the medicine, so they're probably avoiding me because I took it. But they'll get over it eventually. Besides, they're not _gone_ gone, just not around as much. They'll be back."

I must've stared at her for a couple minutes, because she got a weird look on her face and said she was going to go find Reyna.

XXX- LINE BREAK-XXX

"She's seriously not mad? 'Cause she could be lying to you," my friend Grover said while we recorded more notes on our patients. He was supervising Katie, and he was one of the few people in Half-Blood she would have a conversation with.

"True, but I think it's legit. Sure she still thinks they're real and that they're 'avoiding her' or whatever, but it's a start. If this happened with one of her old supervisors, she would've torn his or her head off, am I right?"

"Spot on," he chuckled as he scratched his goatee. It was a dark brown, like his hair and eyebrows, and it was almost the same color of his so-brown-they-were-almost-black eyes. Add the tufts of hair that resembled small horns and you could see why we called him Goat Boy. "You must be some sort of whisperer, like the Dog Whisperer, but with people. Because nobody else would do that that to _the_ Annabeth Chase and get away with it."

"Maybe I'm just that good. Or really lucky, I'm cool either way."

"Ha, ha," Grover said sarcastically, "good for you. But I'd be careful when those pills wear off."

"Why, what would happen?"

"See, Annabeth's got some pretty nasty creatures up here," he said while tapping his head. "And because they're a part of her, they've got all her intelligence, all her cunning, and all she knows about _you_."

"So what?"

"Well, Percy," Grover sighed, "I doubt they're going to be happy with you when they come back. I'd watch out, if I were you."

**Sorry for any mistakes (Besides the ones I usually make.) and for the fact that it's short. I didn't proofread anything and I was rushing.**

**Most of you guys though that the Knife Game/Song was the worst, but I have to go with the Condom Challenge. Something about snorting a condom just makes me cringe. **

**Don't forget to read the companion fic! I might change the name, so you can just find it on my profile.**

**R&R&R!**


	12. Chapter 12

**I'm going to thank everybody who reviewed/favorite/followed at the end because now it's getting hard to manage. **

OMGDemigodishnes (Epic Guest) - **You will never know how awesome you are for that!**

(Epic) Guest- **It's cool. I wasn't offended at all. Don't worry, things should be going a teeny bit faster now that Annabeth's taken the pills. **

Abaratian oddity (Epic Guest)- **Unlike most PJO stories, Rachel's interest in Percy will be completely platonic. Also, Rachel doesn't see herself as a higher being or anything, I think you're thinking of a sociopath. **

Mentally treated (Epic Guest)- **I want to live…**

SingingFroggy- **Oh yeah, she'd kick his ass.**

peanut-butter-mouse- **Yes and a half. I read all of the Infernal Devices books and City of Bones.**

(Epic) Guest- **Soon.**

TailsDoll13- **I did after I Googled him.**

Annabeth

I felt so lonely. Not to sound like a whiny bitch, but I was.

It was weird without my friends. I could still hear and talk to them, but it was like we were in a tunnel, the sound just dissolved into thin air, and I could only receive tiny whispers. But I pushed the thought out of my mind. And trying to talk to them in the first place gave me such a horrible headache and made me feel like I just ran a mile. They'll be back, I told myself. It's all good. These weird pills will fade and everything will go back to normal.

But I was still a little confused. Why did the pills get rid of them? What could possibly be in them? I told Percy that they were just upset by the meds, but I didn't really believe it. Something else was going on, and I needed to figure it out soon.

I ended my inner turmoil when I stopped in front of Reyna's room. Music was blaring from behind the closed door. I knew the song well; it was one of our favorites. I stood for a moment and listened to it.

_Off she trots to the psychiatric hospit..._

_All she's got is the memory of a girl who used to laugh a lot _

_Now she's very angry 'cause they say she's lost the plot _

_And she's laughing in the mirror at her paper dress _

_'Cause she has a troubled mind, a troubled mind _

We loved that song, mainly because we could relate to it, and I could picture Reyna dancing to it while alone in her room. I banged on the door so I could be heard over the blaring music.

Reyna opened the door slightly and stuck her head out. She waved at me in lieu of saying hello and let me in. Despite being silent, Reyna was my best friend next to Mali and the Voices. I didn't understand why the doctors said she was "extremely unstable". If anything, she the most collected out of all of us. But the "specialists" said that she was unstable because they hadn't gotten her any closer to speaking in the two years she's been here, and most patients are out after two years thanks to Poseidon's "innovative therapy methods." **(A/N: Not accurate, by the way.) **Some people were saying that I was rubbing off on Reyna and even called her Lili, a name for a female child of Lilith. (Yeah, I knew all about their little nickname. I found it flattering, so the joke's on them.)

Reyna waved me into her room. Hers looked just like mine architecturally, but Reyna chose not to have as much stuff. Instead of a computer and a TV, she had a huge whiteboard that covered an entire wall and a box of Expo markers to go with it. She also had some of Rachel's paintings on the ceiling because she liked to look at them while she was falling asleep. Other than that, her room only had a bed and a nightstand.

_Hey _Porcellana, Reyna wrote on the white board in black. She always called me by names like "Porcelain" or "China Doll" because I was so pale. _Porcellana _was porcelain in Latin, her favorite language next to Spanish. In my defense, I haven't been outside in 5 years and Reyna's from Puerto Rico, so she's darker than me by default. She said it was no excuse.

"I would come up with a color-related name for you, but they all sound racist. Unfair advantage!" I protested. Reyna laughed silently through her nose, like she always did, and stuck out her tongue.

_Cry me a river, China. So, are you gonna beat up Leo for lighting up your bed. Because that would be bad and he probably wouldn't win._

"I'm _not_ going to fight Leo; I'm tired of fighting. Why do you care, Rey? I though you said that Leo was 'annoying' and 'insufferable'." Reyna blushed and glared at me, which was actually pretty scary since her glare is about as intimidating as mine. (I'm so proud of her!)

_I'd hate to see you get in trouble, Annabeth_, she scribbles, almost crushing the marker on the board. Her blush only intensified while she wrote. Reyna couldn't fool me; she only talked (wrote) formally when she was nervous, upset, embarrassed, or in a formal situation. She wasn't upset or in a formal setting, so she had to be nervous and/or embarrassed. But what would be nervous and/or embarrassed about. Leo? Wait a minute…

"Aww! Does widdle Reyna like Leo? Do you have a _cwush_?" No way!

_No!_ _He's just a good friend and I'm fond of him, _she scribbles using a new pink marker. Aww, pink for love. She made it too easy.

"I'll say you are," I snorted. "Well, I promise not to hurt your _widdle Leo_."

_He is __not__ my "widdle Leo"! Stop speaking like that!_

"Wike dis?"

_Yes, exactly like that!_

"I sorwy. I didn't mean to make Weyna upse-" She cut me off with a pillow shot to the face. Have you ever been hit in the face with a pillow? Because pillows may be deadly enough to replace hand grenades, at least when they're thrown by Reyna.

"Ow! That hurt!" Reyna just silently giggled and pointed.

_You had it coming, Porcelain. :)_

"Not true! That was uncalled for. You know what, this is America. I'll sue."

_That's fine. You can take all of the one dollar that is in my possession. _Reyna didn't have any money, but Poseidon made her a special case and paid for everything. He had _plenty_ of money and Reyna was one of his favorites.

"I would _love_ that. But to avoid getting assaulted again, I'll let you keep your riches."

_I'm ecstatic. :/ _

"Well I'm so glad I made you happy. C'mon, Rey, let's play a board game or something."

XXXX-HI-XXXX

After getting a Scrabble box from Silena at the front desk, we went back up to Reyna's room to play. We were tied, but I was confident that I could beat her.

"Zip: 10 points for Z, 1 point for I, and 3 points for P. 14 points in all. Added to my 74 points, that's 88 points for China Doll. Try to top that, I _dare_ you."

Reyna looked at the board and thought for a moment, tapping her sharp chin. Then she added the letters P, Y, and X to the board. She wrote something in the purple notebook she used to communicate and passed it to me.

_Pyx: 3 points for P, 4 for Y, and 8 for X. _15_ points in all. Added to _my_ score of 74, that's _89_ points for Reyna. Your challenge: __ACCEPTED__. _

"Oh, whatever. You wouldn't even know as much English as you do now if it weren't for me. Plus 1000 for Annabeth," I teased. There was some truth, though. When she first got here, she knew English, but with Latin and Spanish mixed in. I helped her become fluent and then she repaid me by beating me at Scrabble! (Only but one point, but still.)

_Aww, poor Annabeth doesn't want to lose?_

"You shut up." She just smiled.

_I never __said__ a word. :P_

"You know exactly what I meant. But, in all seriousness, I do have to get ready for one-one-one with Percy. I quit the game," I announced and scrambled all the word tiles. Rey crossed her arms and glared at me, but it was a mild version and her deep, brown eyes were amused.

_One-on-one doesn't start for another 10 minutes. I read your schedule. You just don't want me to beat you._

"I have to change, Reyna. My dress is all burned," I said while fingering the blackened holes in the white fabric. I would have to get back at Leo somehow, I actually liked this dress.

_So? Nobody cares about your dress. Remember that one kid who ran around the halls naked last year?_ I did remember that and I _still_ don't understand why he was so proud of himself. _Are you trying to dress up for Percy or something?_

"What! No! Of course not, why would you even say that?" I shouted while tugging my hair. Unfortunately, Reyna knew that I sometimes did that when I was nervous. She knew me too well.

_So you are? Well, he is cute._

"So now you like Percy? I thought you were head over heels in _love_ with Valdez," I taunted. Reyna blushed, like I expected her to do, and threw her pencil at me.

"Ow! Why do you keep throwing stuff at me? I wonder if this is how people feel when I jump them."

Reyna laughed her laugh and got a marker to write on the whiteboard with. _Probably. You're really good at kicking ass._

"Thank you ever so much. Now I seriously have to get ready for one-on-one."

_You wanna know what I think?_

"Not really, but you're going to tell me regardless, aren't you?" It was a question, but I already knew the answer.

Reyna frowned in feigned hurt and put her hand over her chest. _Ouch. Anyway, I think that you have a crush on him._

"What? Me? Having a crush on _Percy Jackson_? You're joking, right? Tell me you're joking, Rey."

_I'm not._

"That's ridiculous!" I protested, although my red face and emotional outcry probably didn't do much to defend my case. "Of course I don't like him. He's just a friend, barely a friend, an acquaintance."

_You're blushing, Porcelain._

"Oh, shut up. I'm really pale, as you like to point out, and it's hot in here. That's obviously why I'm red."

Reyna laughed, unconvinced. _Whatever you say, Porcelain. I'm not going to believe you anyway. _Reyna laughed her odd, silent laugh again when I flipped her the bird, which was _not_ the reaction I was hoping for. I started tugging on my hair again and when I pulled my hand away, I was holding long, thin, white-blond ribbons.

"Look what you did," I huffed and showed her the hair. "You made me rip my hair out. I'll be bald by the time I'm 30 years old if you have any say in the matter."

_I would never want you to be bald, even if your hair isn't as pretty as mine._ She tossed her thick, black hair over her shoulder for emphasis. I stuck my tongue out at her in response.

"One-on-one starts in 2 minutes now, so I have to go. And now I can't change out of my burned dress, thanks to you."

_Percy won't be disappointed._

"Shut. Up. I'm leaving now."

_Give Percy a big hug for me!_

"Only if you give Leo a kiss in return!" I called over my shoulder to her once I was out of the room. I couldn't see her write anything down, but I could almost feel her blushing. I was still laughing when I was walking down to the therapy room. I loved hanging out with Reyna. When I was with her, I felt almost normal. And not normal the way Mali and the Voices described it, but a good, relaxed kind of normal.

I was still laughing, so I didn't see Mali pop up in front of me until I ran into her.

"Having so much fun without us?" she asked. I had to squint to see her properly and even then, she was blurred. It was like looking at something with your eyes slightly crossed. I could make out her huge eyes and tiny red lips, but no other facial features, and she looked skinnier than ever.

"I have to stay in Reyna's room because Leo set my bed on fi-"

"I know that. I get around." Her voice was cold and demanding, like a stereotypical teacher's. It always had an echo to it, but it pounded in my ears to point of pain.

"I still can't believe you took those pills after everything I told you," Mali said in a pained voice. She sounded betrayed and offended, but there was definitely anger laced in her words.

"I'm sorry," I said, trying to make it up to her, "I didn't know what I was doing. I had such an awful headache, Mal, and I-"

"Save it. I'm not mad at you, Annabeth," she said. Her words said one thing but her voice, which was still burning my ears, said another.

"Mali…"

"Don't you worry your little head about it," she giggled and patted my head, which oddly sent painful, throbbing sensations through my head. "We'll be back before you know it. Maybe a week, two if we're not lucky." She started to walk away, fading as she went, but turned around to face me.

"But you are in a little bit of trouble. We can't let you go without _any_ punishment. Hope you understand, Beth."

**Looks like Mali's got something in store for Annabeth.**

**The song at the beginning is Troubled Minds by Marina and the Diamonds. It's awesome.**

**READ THE COMPANION FIC. It's called ****How to be Certified Insane****. I added a chapter on Reyna. **

**R&R&R!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Shout out to** thegreyeyedgirl** for being the 400th reviewer! Cookies! (::) (::) (::) (::)**

thegreyeyedgirl (Epic Guest)- **I'll have to do that. In fact, everybody who's reading this: May 23 is National Schizophrenia Day, so wear purple to show your support!**

OMGDemigodishnes (Epic Guest)-**I have heard those songs because I LOVE Marina and the Diamonds, but I like her less mainstream stuff more. In a non-hipster way.**

TailsDoll13**- I shall check that out.**

Percylia22- **A very complicated hour-long explanation would be necessary.**

whackadoodle100- **She doesn't think straight all of the time. Most of the time, really.**

Jacksonluver101- **I do that all the time LOL!**

WeGrowWeRoar- **You are awesome. That's all I need to say.**

**This chapter is dedicated to** Qwerty616120 **because she (pretty sure it's a girl) sent me a private message (that I shall not explain to give this person privacy) that really touched my heart. So this one's for you** Qwerty616120!

Percy

Time Skip: 10 days

Annabeth was really fidgety, even by Annabeth standards.

Which isn't saying that she wasn't improving, because she was in a way. No fighting, no arguments, no secrets, nothing. Annabeth just walked around with a stunning smile and happy words all day, every day. She didn't even do anything to Leo for burning her bed! It was like having a little, schizophrenic angel floating around.

It was awful.

Everybody was convinced that Annabeth just had a change of heart after being medicated, but I didn't believe it. Every grin was forced, every word was choked out, and every friendly gesture was strained. To the rest of Half-Blood, she was fine, but to me she was practically screaming _somebody help me! _The only thing I needed to figure out was what freaked her out so much. It's not like anybody here would've wanted to ignite Hurricane Annabeth, so patient or specialist was out of the question. That left someone a little less tangible.

Mali.

XXXX-BREAK-XXXX

"Can you show me what Mali looks like?" I asked during a one-on-one session. Annabeth's gray eyes widened with surprise and a hint of fear, a small crack in her blissful façade.

"I-I don't think I should," she replied shakily. "It's a little personal." She began to furiously yank her pale hair. I remembered something about schizophrenics having movement disorders where they would repeat an action several times, and Annabeth started to pull her hair more and more every day. **(A/N: Accurate.)**

"Why? Do you think that she'd mind if you told me?"

"Yes, actually, she would. Mali hates you for some reason."

"Is she here? Do you still see her?"

"I haven't talked to her in 10 days and it hurts when I try to talk to her and the Voices," she muttered while _still_ pulling her hair. She didn't meet my eyes and only looked at her lap.

"Annabeth," I said as softly as I could, "you've been acting a little nervous lately."

"That's not true," she denied while practically tearing out a clump of her hair.

"It _is_ true and you know it. Are you scared of Mali?"

Her eyes widened even more. "What? No, not at all. Mali's my friend; I'd never be scared of her."

"If you're telling the truth, then draw me a picture of her. You said you're not scared so there shouldn't be a problem, right?" Annabeth straightened up a bit and started pondering my proposal. She knew that if she backed down, it would seem like she was afraid and she was lying. After giving me a look of grudging respect, she asked for a piece of paper and a pencil.

10 points for Percy Jackson.

"Here," Annabeth said and tossed me the paper. Blonde strands bordered the page and swirled around the pencil she used.

"You sure you're okay with giving this to me?"

"You ask me for something and when I give it to you, you question it? I'm sure, Percy, I'm not scared of my friend." Her words were sharp, but she didn't sound confident.

Looking at the drawing of Mali was like looking at the psychological nightmare of a child. Her eyes were huge, for starters, and made her look like an alien. Her mouth and nose were impossibly tiny and delicate looking and her hair was done up in a neat bun. Mali looked like a ballerina cartoon to me, but that was only half of the disturbing part. The most disturbing part was the body. It was incredibly thin, with pointed ribs, a sunken stomach, and arms and legs that looked like skin stretched over bones. Nothing was left to the imagination either since Mali, for reasons I couldn't understand, was naked. The grotesque body combined with the innocent face made for a jarring image.

"Why is she, um, _naked_?" I swallowed. Annabeth laughed under her breath.

"I don't really know, to be honest," she replied. "Mali's always been a little different from 'regular' people. I got used to it."

I shrugged, deciding not to comment. "How does Mali act?"

"She's usually a little cryptic, has a dark sense of humor, gives me nicknames like 'darling' and such, and is very graceful. And I love her voice; it's like an echo. Have you ever seen that show _The Powerpuff Girls_?"

_Yes_. "Um…I think I've seen a couple episodes with my little brother."

"Well Mali's voice is like that villain Him's happy voice; it's airy and it resonates. Only Mali, of course, sounds like a girl. I think it's really comforting, actually."

I thought she sounded like Satan. "That's nice. Annabeth, would you mind telling me about the Voices?"

"Well I've already told you too much, so I guess I could," she sighed. "They're just Voices, really. None of them have faces or even actual personalities. They just help me out in everyday life." _That didn't seem so bad_, I thought. "Most of the time they agree with Mali." _Never mind_, I mentally corrected. "But they're my friends, and I love them." Annabeth suddenly pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut, revealing dark shadows lining her lower lids. When she stopped, she used her free hand to continue ripping her bright hair out. I tried to think about what would compel me to want to tear my black hair out in clumps, but I couldn't.

"Have you been getting enough sleep?" I asked out of the blue, thinking about the shadows.

Annabeth momentarily stopped pulling her hair and frowned. "Not really," she admitted. "I never got much sleep before, but I've been getting even less lately. It's not a big deal, though. Sleep is _way_ overrated."

"Why aren't you getting enough sleep?"

"I'm just not tired. No biggie."

"Annabeth, you have bags and dark circles under your eyes."

"I never cared much about my appearance, anyway."

"But don't you feel odd? Enervated? Lethargic?"

"Nice vocabulary, I approve. And no, I feel fine." Her words were confident, but she was shaking slightly as she said them. _What is up with her?_

"You don't believe me, do you?" Annabeth sighed and twisted some discarded strands of hair around her fingers.

"Honestly? No, I don't. I'm worried about you, Annabeth. You look like someone's out to get you."

"Someone's out to get me every day, therefore I look like I always do." _Paranoid_ schizophrenic, right. I forgot about that.

"Well, you looked more scared than you usually do. I'm not kidding, Annabeth, I'm worried. You look sick, you're tearing your hair, you don't look like you've been getting a lot of sleep. You're a mess, and you know it."

"Why do you even care?"

"Because…I like you. In a totally platonic way, of course," I said, rushing that last part out.

"I assaulted you."

"I like it rough." Annabeth laughed and rolled her eyes.

"You are such a Seaweed Brain."

"A _what_?"

"A Seaweed Brain. If I remember correctly, your dad mentioned you years ago and said that you liked to swim. I think that all the seaweed from the ocean gathered into your empty head and became your brain."

"You realize that you're talking to a man with the certifications you be a psychologist, right?"

"Doesn't matter to me, Seaweed Brain." She smirked and looked at the clock. "Looks like our time is up. Bye, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth jumped out her chair and tried to speed-walked to the door, but I grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

"Look, Annabeth, I know you might not fully trust me yet. But I truly am worried about you. Just tell me what's wrong." Annabeth blushed scarlet and looked down at my hand holding her wrist. She used her free hand to gingerly undo my grasp. Once released, she rubbed her wrist and avoided my eyes.

"I'm okay. I promise."

XXX-BOOMSHAKALAKA -XXX

"See you tomorrow, Perce?" Grover called out before he left to go home. Work was over, and everybody was heading out.

"You know it! Not scared off yet!"

"Later!" Grover laughed.

I laughed back and went to go find my dad (He was my ride, how embarrassing.). He was buried somewhere in this monochromatic labyrinth, so all I had to do was dig. After wandering aimlessly for what seemed like an hour, I ended up passing Annabeth's room. That's when I heard it. It was a weird combination of speedy slurping, throwing something hard and hollow to the ground, and gasping before the pattern repeated.

Hmmm.

_If I barge in, I might die. If I knock, she probably won't let me in and then I'd have to barge in and still die_. _Eh, second's better than first._ I quietly knocked on the door and the whimpering stopped.

"Who's there?" Annabeth asked frantically.

"It's me, Percy." No answer. "It's me, _Seaweed Brain_."

After unlocking three locks, Annabeth opened the door. She looked the same and her eyes were slightly hard. She was jumpy and her hands and feet were shaking.

"So now you're a stalker?"

"No. I was walking by and I heard a weird sound. It sounded like you were trying to drown yourself or something"

Annabeth straightened up. "What? Of course I wasn't, silly."

"I heard you chugging _something_, which you technically shouldn't be doing anyway because unauthorized food isn't allowed." She sighed and performed her famous eye roll.

"Whatever. Do you want to come in or something?" she said and motioned to her room.

"Sure, why not." I walked into the room, which was an odd sort of dark because she didn't have any lights on. The moon and city lights shone through the window, giving off an almost ethereal glow. Annabeth's face, hair, and eyes reflected the colors as well, which made her look ghostly.

"Why are you up so late? It's, like, 10:30 or something," I questioned.

"10:30 is _not_ late. And I'm still not tired."I just shrugged and tried to walk forward, but I stepped on something round and smooth which made me wobble and fall, knocking my head on the floor so hard that my brain-or pile of seaweed, if you're asking Annabeth-shook.

"Holy crap, are you okay?" Annabeth asked and got down on her knees so she could see me better. I blinked to clear the red stars from my vision and focused on her.

"I'm good," I groaned. Annabeth helped me sit up and I rubbed the back of my head. I leaned over to the bottom of my feet to see if I could find what I tripped on. After feeling around the floor for a minute, I felt the hard, circular object that I stepped on. I held to closer to me so I could see what it was in the near-dark. It was a can, I realized. It was a soda can, now dented because I stomped on it, but definitely a can. I squinted to read the label.

"Is this _Monster_?"

"Yes," Annabeth muttered and looked at her lap.

"Monster as in the energy drink?"

"I don't know of another monster that you can drink, Percy."

"Why are you drinking Monster?"

"Is it _abnormal_ to drink Monster nowadays?" she smirked. She did have a point, but I felt like something was up. I looked over to where the can was, which was near the bed. I crawled over to it and pulled up the bottom of the sheets.

Dozens of empty cans were stuffed under Annabeth's bed. Energy drinks, coffee, Mountain Dew, anything loaded with caffeine.

"What's with the caffeine craving?"

"I don't crave caffeine."

"Then why do you have a pile of empty cans that used to hold some of the most caffeinated drinks sold in stores?" She didn't have a response to that and started (surprise, surprise) pulling her hair again.

"Where did you even get this?" I asked.

"Which one of my friends is a kleptomaniac again?" Piper…

"Alright, I'll deal with that later. But why would you even drink of this in the first place? Too much caffeine will _kill_ you. You should be dead already. C'mon, Annabeth, you're smarter than that."

Annabeth suddenly buried her face in her shaky hands and stayed liked that. After a minute or two, she looked up at me. "I drink so that I won't fall asleep," she deadpanned.

"Why can't you fall asleep?" I inquired. I could tell that I was getting closer to finding out what was bothering her lately.

"Mali. I'm scared that Mali will get me if I fall asleep. Are you satisfied? Are you happy now?" she finally admitted.

_I called it! I totally called that one!_ "No, I'm not. Why are so scared? She's your friend."

Annabeth slowly stood up and walked over to the window. She stood there for a moment and admired the bustling city of New York. "She's mad at me," Annabeth finally said.

"Why?"

"I don't really know. Probably for taking the medicine."

"But you were having a massive headache! You had no choice."

"I know that. You know that. Mali knows that. It doesn't change anything."

"Well, what do you think she's going to do to you?" Annabeth shrugged and flopped down on her new bed, letting her platinum hair fan out around her head. She kept twitching her feet and snapping her fingers due to the caffeine energy.

"No sure. But she said that I was going to receive a punishment, and that can't be good." She raised her head to look at me. "I'm scared, Percy. I really am scared."

I wasn't really sure would I could've done. I never would really be able to relate to that, and what could I have done about it? "Look, I don't know what to say. I've never been through anything like this. But I can tell you that you're safe."

"How do you know?" she said, genuinely curious.

"Because I promise that I won't let anyone hurt you. You're safe here; I promise that I'll look out for you." I sat on the bed and put my hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. In the dark, I could still she her cheeks turn a cute, rosy shade, but she was smiling. She placed her hand on mine and looked at me.

"Thanks, Percy," she whispered. "I think I'll try to sleep now." I nodded and exited the room to leave Annabeth to her much needed sleep.

Annabeth

I didn't have a single dream that night. It felt like I went to sleep and woke up two seconds later. My head was spinning from the caffeine and the world blended into a mixed splash of colors. I saw an unusual mix of ivory, black, and silver sitting up in my bed, and I knew what it was even before my vision cleared.

Mali, sitting on my sheets clear as a summer day, admired the sharp kitchen knife in her hands, petting it softly like it was a small child. She held it up to the sun to watch the light reflect off of its shining surface. "Oh, Annabeth," she chuckled, "the things I have planned for you, darling."

I already knew what was coming, especially when she kissed the blade and crawled towards me.

**Cool, my chapters are getting longer. And I feel bad for Annabeth. Also, that much caffeine ****_will_**** kill you, so NEVER drink that much.**

**Don't forget to check out** How to be Certified Insane.

**R&R&R! **


	14. Chapter 14

ATrueHufflepuff13- **I know they're not twins, but it's easier to make them twins. And that would be funny because people could be all "I read this before it was cool." **

Crazy Female LEPrecon- **I know about trichotillomania, but I wasn't planning on giving it to any characters, although I do like your idea. But I do have plans for Thalia. And the fact that you review period is pretty awesome so don't feel bad at all!**

TheRivalRose– **Soon.**

TailsDoll13- **It's going to be one now! And how can a person kill off more characters than Grand Master Troll Rick? Please tell me they're not characters like Silena and Beckendorf, those characters that everybody loves? Please tell me that the ones who die are more like Octavian.**

T1nyDanc3r- **I didn't really know about BPD when I was writing this and kleptomania seemed like one of those obvious ones, like Leo being a pyromaniac. Oh and Mali is demonic. Don't fall asleep.**

SingingFroggy – **SHE'S NOT DEAD! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! And the third R stands for recommend. **

** Disclaimer: I am not the Grand Master Troll Rick. I am merely a Troll-in-Training. **

Annabeth

Six slits down both arms. _These are for taking those damned pills._

Crisscross patterns adorning my legs. _These are for fearing me. I'm your best friend, Annabeth, how could you._

One long slit down the stomach. _And this is for baring your soul to that bastard, Percy Jackson._

In all my years of knowing Mali, she'd never been this cruel to me.

It wasn't even _her _doing it, in a sense. Mali shoved the knife into my hand and forced me to stab myself. She forced me to cut through my flesh and peel it apart and watch the blood drip onto my sheets and stain my own skin. When I refused to do it, my head felt like it was being split in half until I did. Mali just smiled and shook her head.

"You brought this on yourself," she scolded. _She's right, she's right, _the Voices agreed_. _I didn't even protest; I was too busy choking on sobs and bile. I could barely hear them.

I pulled on my standard uniform, only this time I wore a long sleeved shirt and white jeans to hide the scars and blood. Mali silently watched me the whole time and I felt her eyes burn into my skull. She didn't speak until I finished.

"I'm sorry, but you left me no choice. I hate hurting you, but you forced me to. This is what happens when you don't follow directions, Beth," she said softly, her voice radiating in my ears. _We're sorry_, the Voices added unhelpfully. I didn't even look at her. I just went to the mirror and brushed my hair, trying to cover the bald spot I made earlier. I hadn't stopped the hair-pulling, so the stop was guaranteed to grow.

"Annie, look at me," Mali whined. I didn't comply and just sat at my desk to wait for Percy to give me my medications.

"_Annabeth,_ look at me," Mali growled without a trace her previous apologetic tone. _Don't piss her off,_ one Voice warned. I spun the chair to face her. Mali's face held no trace of pity or guilt.

"You're thinking of taking those medications again, aren't you?" Mali asked and twisted her mouth into a wry smile. She was doing that annoying mind-reader thing again. In truth, I was considering popping those pills if it meant another break from Mali. "Sweetie, you'll never get a break from me. Never again. I'll make sure of it," she spat and stormed over to me. Using her nails, which were suddenly sharp, and dug into my shoulder blade until blood was drawn. Mali slapped a hand over my mouth to keep me from crying out.

"Did you think that I forgot how you betrayed me? I've been your best friend for years and you throw it away because some pretty boy bats his green eyes and tosses his hair and you just _melt_?" Her fingernails dug into the skin around my mouth. "Screw that, Barbie. I'm not leaving. We're gonna be together until the day you _die_."

She disappeared when she heard the door handle click. Percy opened the door and stuck his head in. _Thank the gods. Saved by the Seaweed Brain._

"Hey, Annabeth," he said cheerfully. Then he frowned when he noticed the blood on my face and shoulder. "What happened to you?"

_What would she do to me if I told him?_ "I cut myself," I lied. Percy ran over to me to get a better look.

"Why would you do that?" he asked and took hold of my face to inspect the cuts. I just shrugged; he thought I was crazy anyways, so it probably wouldn't bother him if I didn't have an explanation.

"Well," he said, "first I have to ask you if you want to take your medications, which I'm guessing you don't want." I didn't take anything during the ten days I was medicated in hope of Mali coming back. _Oh, the bitter irony._

_If I take them now, she might _kill _me, for all I know. _"I don't want to take the pills today." He didn't react.

"Alright, then let's get you some Band-Aids or something because your blood is starting to gross me out."

XXXX-IT'S DANG-A-LANG TIME-XXXX

After getting about 11 Band-Aids on my face (which is very unattractive, by the way), I went down to the cafeteria for breakfast. Our cafeteria looked just like the average high school cafeteria, huge, with long wooden benches and the food stations lining to outer walls. There was only one big window to let in sunlight, but a lot of patients didn't like sunlight, so there were blinds to keep it covered. Like just about everything else, it was chrome and white. It was usually empty, though. Most people just ate in their rooms, either because their condition didn't allow them to be in large crowds, or because they just didn't feel like being down here. The lack of people just made me like the place more; it was much more private and quiet.

"Hey Annabeth!" I heard my friend Piper call out from her seat near the window. Her choppy pigtails were flying around as she jumped up and down and waved her hands. Piper was energetic like that. Some of our other friends who were sitting with her just laughed.

"Hey Beauty Queen," I called back. I laughed when I saw her pissed expression. See, Piper was forced into being one of those pageant girls as a child and when Leo found out, he never let her forget it. Thus, "Beauty Queen" was born.

"I told you guys never to call me that!" she complained when I sat down. Leo, who was sitting with us, just laughed at her until she splashed milk onto his shirt.

"Hey! This was my favorite shirt!" he whined. Then he wiped his face of all emotions other than fear and guilt when he saw me. "Oh, um, hi Annabeth. You look really, um, pretty today." I didn't think he got that I wasn't mad anymore.

"Leo, I'm not mad. If I wanted you dead, _trust me_, you'd be dead already. I got over it," I reasoned. In hindsight, half-threatening him _might _not have been the best thing to do, since he just looked really worried and started furiously rubbing the milk off his shirt. Reyna was sitting next to him and started helping him out. I winked at her and she glared back.

"So, Beth," Piper began, "do you need any more energy drinks? Coffee, perhaps? 'Cause I could get you some." Her last words were rushed out, like she was begging me to ask her to steal something.

"No, I'm done with that now. Thanks anyway." I almost felt bad when her face fell. Something must've happened with her family; only her family would push her to steal more, she was usually really stable. Rachel, who was watching the whole thing, spoke up while filing her nails.

"It's probably a good thing, Piper," she said without looking up. "You really shouldn't shoplift. I think Annabeth did you a favor." Piper nodded, but didn't look like she believed her.

"Did something happen?" I asked Piper. "More specifically, with your father?"

"Yeah. Visiting Day is coming up and I wanted him to come, but he has another movie deal," she sighed. Her dad was Tristan McLean, this huge Hollywood actor, and he didn't spend a lot of time with her.

"I wouldn't either, if I were him," Mali said from her hiding place behind me. "Piper's _so_ whiny. I wouldn't put up with her for a second," she snorted. I was glad Piper couldn't see her, because she would've tried to rip Mali's eyes out.

"That's so mean, why would you-"

"Are you disrespecting me, Beth," Mali asked in an oddly sweet voice considering what she was saying. Her tiny, black eyebrows raised slightly and the corners of her lips twitched.

"No, but you just _insulted_ my-"

"Need I remind you of our little altercation," she shouted and pointed at my new bandages. "Because I can assure you that I could do a lot worse damage than that."

"Why are you being so mean lately? It was an accident, Mali. I didn't even know what pills I was taking!"

"Don't play stupid!" she snapped. "I know you're a smart girl; you knew what you were taking! In the back of what's left of your mind, you had to think, 'Gee, they're asking me to take medicine while I'm having a breakdown. Don't they ask me to take medicine every day and I refuse it?' You connected those dots, Annabeth! You knew that you were betraying me!"

_She's not wrong_, I thought. _I did know what I was taking._ But I wasn't sure if _I _was thinking or if the Voices were thinking for me. Everything was going from black and white to a hazy grey. "That doesn't give the right to injure me!" I protested.

"Boo hoo, it was only a couple scratches. You'll live," she mocked.

"Are you talking to Mali, Annabeth?" Rachel piped up. I forgot that I was with my friends and, of course, they were all staring at me like I was insane.

Ha. See what I did there?

"Yeah, I was, Rachel," I answered. Mali looked upset that our "conversation" was interrupted, but I wasn't sure if I cared or not.

"She sounds kinda bitchy based on what I heard from your side of the argument," Rachel calmly observed while inspecting her fingertips. I choked on a laugh that I wasn't allowed to let go of since Mali was right there, but everyone else was giggling about it. Mali glared daggers at Rachel.

"_That _is why I don't like her!" Mali spat and walked away. I didn't even comment on it.

"Is she gone?" Rachel asked. "I don't really want her here, even if I don't think she's real. Freaks me out." Normally, I would've been upset if someone said that, but I actually agreed with her. _Is that how you treat your best friend?_ the Voices taunted.

"Yeah, she's gone. Piper, save my seat, I'm going to get some breakfast like I came here to do."

XXX-I AM A LINEBREAK-XXX

"Doesn't your face feel weird with those Band-Aids on it?" Percy asked in a total Seaweed Brain fashion.

"Yes, but I was _trying_ to ignore it, and you're not helping."

"Sorry. It just looks really weird."

"Gee, Percy, thanks. You sure know how to sweet talk a girl." He just shrugged. Boys.

"So, serious-topic time," he said. "Are you still chugging caffeine?"

"No, I stopped. Piper's not going to steal any more energy drinks in her free time, either. You didn't tell anyone about that, did you?" _Just what I needed, more psychologists trying to inspect my every move_, I mentally groaned. _Not to mention Piper's._

"Nope," he said while popping the "p", "I didn't tell a soul. But I'm glad you stopped, all that caffeine in your system was bound to kill you or something."

"And you would miss me if it did?" I asked sarcastically. I was joking, but Percy actually looked upset and a little surprised.

"Of course I would," he said in a tone that practically screamed _duh_. It was actually nice; most people didn't really care about me like Percy did, and it felt good to be cared about. I mean, people did care about me, but it felt different with Percy.

_I think that you have a crush on him, _I remembered Reyna saying when I was in her room that one time. _No I don't. Shut up, inner-Reyna!_

"Hey!" Percy called and snapped his fingers in front of my nose.

"I wasn't zoning out that time!"

"I know, you weren't unfocused long enough to be really zoned out. I just really wanted to get your attention." He laughed at my mild glare and standard eye-roll. _You totally like him_, my inner-self said, although I wasn't sure if it was me or the Voices. I figured it was me because the Voices didn't like Percy either.

"Annabeth, I have a question."

"Ask away, Seaweed Brain."

"How did you cut your face? I know you said that you cut yourself, but that doesn't seem like something you'd do." I almost smiled; even as a Seaweed Brain, Percy was a _little_ smart. Just a little.

"I was getting out of bed and I fell," I lied. My hand went up to my hair without my permission, and started tearing out more clumps. I don't know if you knew this, but slowly tearing out your hair _really_ hurts.

"How the hell did you get tiny, individual scratches by falling onto a flat, smooth floor?"

"I don't know," I huffed, "it just happened."

"Well if you did fall, which I don't believe for a second, I'm glad you didn't bust your head open. Again, blood grosses me out." Aww, how sweet of him.

"One, thanks for the touching concern. Two, you're seriously scared of blood. Even Calypso's not scared of blood, and she's the daintiest person I've ever met." Percy turned that special shade of red that I loved.

"I am _not_ scared of blood. But if I saw you bleeding out from your skull while lying unconscious on the floor of your bedroom, it would freak me out," he argued. "It would freak anyone out."

"_Sure_ Seaweed Brain."

"Yes Wise Girl."

_"Wise Girl? _You nicknamed me Wise Girl?" I laughed. Percy copied my famous eye-roll.

"Yes I did. I know it no 'Seaweed Brain', but still. Don't laugh, you know you love it."

"Where did you even come up with that?"

"You took a test a couple days ago and got a perfect score. It was something insanely hard, too. Like theoretical calculus or something. So the name 'Wise Girl' just popped into my head when I found out."

"Huh. Well congrats on being clever."

"Why, thank you," he laughed. I liked hearing his laugh. It was just so happy and full of life. Laughter around here was usually filled with, well, _insanity_.

"Also, serious question," he said, "why do you rip out your hair?" I was honestly a little surprised when I looked at my arm and found it attached to my head. I didn't even notice that I was pulling it.

"Um…I don't know."

"Is there a pattern? Do you tug at your hair during certain situations? Maybe when you're nervous or angry?"

I thought back on when I really started the hair-pulling. It was when I was scared of Mali coming back; fear that turned out to be really appropriate. "Actually, yes. Now that you mention it, I do pull my hair when I'm upset. I never really thought about it. Why is that?"

"You are experiencing stereotypic movement disorder. Basically, you repeat movements that have no purpose or function. Yours seem to be triggered by emotion."

"I don't like it," I admitted. "How do I stop?"

"You'd have to take special antipsychotic medications, but you don't like taking those." I flinched a little at the word "antipsychotic". It wasn't the meaning, really, but the word itself. It basically said _hey, you're a freak and you need to be drugged up in order to function._

Percy noticed my reaction and smiled sympathetically. "Yeah I hate that word too, but it's the official term. Anyway, just thought you'd like to know that. I don't like it when you lose your hair."

"Why?"

"Because your hair is pretty," he said casually. "I like the color and it's all shiny and long." I felt heat rise up to my cheeks. _He thinks I'm pretty? _I thought_. Wait, why do I care? Damn hormones, I thought I was done with you when I turned 18!_

"Um, t-thanks I guess," I stammered. He didn't seem to notice. He just pulled out his notepad and scribbled down more observations about me, which felt a little weird.

"Percy," I asked, "why don't you ask more…_medical_ questions? I know that I'm not the doctor here, but you ask different questions than other supervisors."

"Well, I can't really start the actual treatment until you've been medicated for a few days. You can see the problem already." I blushed, which made him laugh. I noticed that eyes seemed to turn greener when he laughed or smiled. It was looking into those parts of the ocean where the green is more prominent and sparkles.

_You're such a poet, Annabeth, _the Voices complimented_. Too bad you waste it on him. _I grimaced in my head. _One, I'm not a poet. Two, even if I were, I wouldn't be wasting my "talent". You guys are being really stupid nowadays_. The Voices weren't too happy about my insult and decided to send shockwaves of pain through my head. It felt like someone was running a sharp nail on my brain; I gnashed my teeth to keep from saying anything.

"You're zoning out again," Percy chuckled. Then he saw my expression and looked concerned. "Are you ok? What's wrong, Wise Girl?" A laugh pushed its way out of my closed mouth at the nickname. I guess I did like it a little.

"I'm fine," I said truthfully since the pain faded a bit. I glanced at the clock and saw that it was time to go, which made me a little upset. "Time to go. I've got group therapy next."

"You do? I'll walk you."

I blushed, which I seemed to be doing a lot more lately. "Oh it's fine. You don't have to."

"We're going to the same place, Wise Girl," Percy said with a half-smile. "It's literally no problem at all." He walked around the wide desk and helped me out of the chair by yanking my arm up towards him. We walked to the door and he held out his elbow like gentlemen in old Hollywood or English movies would.

"Oh how formal, Seaweed Brain," I said in an exaggerated faux-British accent. He raised an eyebrow and decided to play along.

"Why it's no problem at all, Miss Wise Girl," he said in an equally fake accent and gave a small bow before offering his elbow again. I laughed and put my arm through his like it was nothing, although it did hurt a little bit from the knife scars I had. _It's not _that_ bad,_ I told myself.

And we walked down the halls of psychiatric hospital arm in arm while joking in fake British accents.

XXX-BAM-XXX

Calypso was the only person who was exactly on time to the session, and she was sitting eagerly on a bean bag chair while rocking back and forth. Her grin was as white as her pleated skirt as she waited. Callie immediately perked up when she saw Percy, but frowned when she saw me._ Wow, Callie, I thought we were friends. _

"Hi Percy!" she giggled. "Hi Annabeth," she deadpanned. Well then.

Percy, actually noticing the tension in the room for once, looked awkward for a second. "Um…I'm going to prepare for the session," he said and promptly retreated to the corner Katie usually inhabited. Calypso turned to me with her arms crossed.

"_Why_ are you stealing my boyfriend?" she demanded. I loved Callie, but I hated it when she acted like that.

"He's not your boyfriend and I'm not stealing him." She stamped her foot, causing Percy glance back at us.

"He loves me. He just doesn't know it yet. And you're getting in the way!" she complained.

"Callie calm down! C'mon, we're friends. Don't do this," I pleaded. Calypso slumped her shoulders and smiled apologetically.

"I know. I'm sorry, Atalanta," she said using the nickname she gave me when we met. I told her that I didn't like to be called Annie, so she gave me a Greek nickname so we could match. I laughed and hugged her. I squeezed my eyes shut to block out the throbbing sensation coming from the healing cut on my stomach, but it wasn't horrible and I wanted to make up with Callie.

"I know I'm a little overbearing," she murmured while hugging me back, "but I can't help it." She pulled back a bit to look at me properly. "Sorry for getting all worked up."

"It' cool, I don't mind all that much." Honesty is a virtue I do not possess. Calypso smiled cheekily at me.

"So now you're holding hands with your supervisor?"

"Oh, shut up!" I complain. She smiled with her lips, but her dark, almond-shaped eyes looked sad.

"You're not sad, are you? 'Cause we were only joking, I swear."

"I'm fine," she sighed. "I'm used to loving people who don't show their love. But I know he doesn't love me." _That's weird, she usually never admits it._

"How do you know?"

"Percy likes somebody else. He's not in _love_ yet and he still doesn't even know that he's really interested, but he likes her. I can see it in his eyes." Calypso smiled to herself like she knew something that I didn't. I had an idea of what she was hinting at, but I thought it was stupid.

"Whatever you say, C. You're the love expert." Callie grinned and twirled her cinnamon hair around her pinky. The door opened behind us and Reyna walked in with Leo and the Stolls, which was good since she and I were the only people who could usually handle them. Rey was holding her beloved purple notebook under one arm.

So what did I miss? She wrote with a wide, black Sharpie. She waved her hand towards Calypso and I, who were still close together.

"Atalanta and I were just talking," Calypso answered. Reyna cocked an eyebrow at the old nickname.

_ What about?_

Calypso half-smiled at me and glanced at Percy. Then she looked at Reyna and winked. "Oh, nothing of importance."

**I know Annabeth is even more OOC than I usually make her, but I needed some Percabeth. Next chapter: Thalia, Nico, and Jason will probably show up and there might be actual double-sided Percabeth. Also, stereotypic movement disorders****_ are_**** real and are a symptom of schizophrenia, but they aren't triggered by emotion and just happen. So, half-accurate maybe?**

**Reviews feed my soul and muse. R&R&R! **


	15. Chapter 15

kim3375- **Confession: I actually don't like Thalico. I can read about it if it's a side pairing with a ship that I like, but I don't like Thalico alone. I also made them cousins in this so it would be really weird. **

fireball of darkess- **You're probably the first person in history to be upset that there ****_wasn't_**** a cliffhanger. **

JustEmmaIsFine- **Yeah it is. She just doesn't know it.**

Greek Wise Girl-**Are you thinking of Alice? The black hair and height matches up.**

whackadoodle100 – **Normal people.**

TheRivalRose- **Percy is 20 and Annabeth is 19.**

Tom Marvolo Riddle 2- **Progressive mutism is just selective mutism in a more severe state, so it still falls under the category of selective mutism. Also, the enemy was Octavian.**

(Epic) Guest – **I'm buying his hat someday**.

justanothergirl (Epic Guest)- **I feel ya.**

SingingFroggy –**That's good.**

Percy

Time Skip: 2 months

It was a normal day at the center, at least as normal as recovery centers can be, which should've been a warning that the rest of the day would be very abnormal. It all started with my dad's surprise.

"Percy?" Grover said that morning when we met in the halls in our normal spot.

"'Sup, G-man?"

"It's… your dad," he said a little breathlessly since he had to walk up some stairs due to the broken elevator. Grover had polio as a child, so he wore braces to walk. Going up long flights of stairs was a pretty big challenge for him. But whenever anybody asked if he needed help, he just shrugged them off and told them he was fine.

"He wants…you…in his office," he panted.

"Are you okay?"

Grover nodded. "I'm good. Besides the staff lunchroom is nearby, and they're serving cheese enchiladas today." He licked his lips just thinking about them. "Later, Perce."

"Bye Grover," I laughed. I walked down to my dad's office.

_Did he find out about that prank I pulled with the Stolls?_ I thought. _Because it wasn't that bad; I made sure it was virtually harmless and Khione's not the nicest person in town… _But when I got to his office, there was actually a smile on his face, making him look five years younger.

"Hey Dad," I said cautiously. _Just breathe, he won't suspect a thing._

"Sit down, son," he said, not unkindly either. I sat down in the uncomfortable black chair in his office. His office was black and blue, with picture frames of all the good times in his life decorating the walls. His desk was pure black and covered in files and papers. He picked up a certain picture he kept on his desk and smiled as he gazed at it. I knew what it was, the picture of my cousins and I fishing together when we were younger.

"Am I in trouble?"

He laughed heartily and set the photograph down. "No, not all. Unless there's something you need to tell me."

"Nope." _He suspects nothing, 10 points for Percy Smooth-Criminal Jackson._

"Good, because I actually have surprise for you," Poseidon said. His sea-green eyes gleamed, just like mine did when I was up to something.

"A good or a bad kind of surprise?"

"That depends on you, son," Dad said with the sneaky eye-gleam. "Go to the lobby; you surprise is waiting for you there." I nodded and got up to leave. Before I was out of the door, Dad spoke again.

"And, Percy?"

"Yeah Dad?"

"I know about the prank. Next time, don't use chocolate sauce. Glitter sticks a lot better to honey."

XX-BREAK-XX

The chrome-colored lobby was empty, save Silena and a couple patients. I was about to go back and call out my dad for pulling my leg, but then I looked back at the two patients. They weren't dressed in the uniform, and they looked kind of…_familiar_. One of the two patients, a girl, looked up and smiled when she saw me.

"What's good, dumbass?" I heard her call out.

Thalia.

Thalia, Nico, and Jason were like the siblings I never had and never wanted. This isn't saying that I didn't love them, because I did. But being annoying ran in the family, and they were no exception. Nevertheless, they were my _beloved_ family and life would've been much duller without them.

If Thalia had a celebrity twin, it would be Julia Volkova pre-surgery. She was short, for starters, and had electric blue eyes. Freckles decorated her otherwise pale skin and spiky, black hair crowned her head. In all my years of knowing her, she never wore a single outfit that didn't have a touch of black or blue, and today was no exception. Thalia was wearing a black t-shirt with a picture of an old Green Day album on it and ripped black leggings.

"Hey little cousin!" Thalia fake-cooed and ruffled my hair (only because she knows that I hate it).

"I may be five years younger, but I'd still count you as my _little_ cousin, shorty," I smirked. Despite being 25, Thalia-or as I sometimes called her, _Tiny Tally_-was a mere 5'5. Thalia responded by kicking me in the leg with her combat boot.

"_Eight-damn-inches-isn't-that-much_!" she protested between kicks.

You see what I deal with?

"Wow, Tally, it's so nice to have you try to break my leg _again_," I groaned, clutching my legs to my body. Nico just stood to the side and watched.

"Nice to see that you guys still love me," Nico deadpanned sarcastically, which was very Nico of him. He was _super _Goth ("I am not Goth! I just like black, idiot!") and definitely looked the part. He only wore black or silver clothes, usually decorated with skulls or X's or whatever. He had long, black hair that was even messier than mine and matched the color of his black eyes. All the dark colors matched his gloom-and-doom disposition, but contrasted with his deathly pale skin. Funny, you know who usually dresses in dark clothing and often has pale skin? A Goth person. **(A/N: I hope that wasn't offensive to Goth people, that wasn't my intention.)**

"Aww, are you scared we'll forget you?" Thalia said with false sympathy. "Poor Nico." Thalia tried to ruffle his hair, but Nico easily dodged it by stepping back, since he had a good two inches on her.

"Sorry Neeks," I laughed/winced. "I was just distracted by our lovely cousin cracking my shin bone."

"Again," he added.

"Yes, again. But it is good to see you; it's been, what, _five_ months?"

"Six," Thalia corrected. "A good half a year, Perce." While I was here in New York, Thalia and Jason were in California to be near their dad and step-mom and Nico was traveling the globe for no apparent reason.

"Wow, I can't believe it's been so long," I said, genuinely surprised that I hadn't seen them in such a long time. We saw each other almost every day as kids. "Hey, where's Jason? Doesn't Thalia have him on a leash or something?" Thalia response was-get this-kicking me in the shin.

Nico shrugged. "Some pretty girl came over and started talking with him. Then she took him on a tour of the place. Kinda dangerous if you ask me; she could've been a serial killer or something. Hope he doesn't die or whatever." Ah, family dynamics. I wasn't really surprised that Jason had been kidnapped though. He had that whole "blond, blue-eyed surfer boy" thing going on. He was Thalia's brother, but despite the eyes they looked nothing alike. Jason was also an inch taller than me, which Tally was _thrilled_ about ("If I can't be taller than you, at least my closest relative can be."). I was betting on the mystery girl being Calypso, since she wasn't acting nearly as lovey-dovey towards me lately. She did giggle whenever I was around, though, and usually glanced at Annabeth when she did. Even in an asylum, girl will be girls.

"What're you guys doing here?" I asked. Nico dropped his jaw in mock offense.

"You don't want us here. That hurts," he fake-whined. Thalia playfully shoved his shoulder.

"We're visiting you, dumbass!" she said. "Like you said, it's been forever. Besides, we had to come straight away after Poseidon told us about your job. How are you enjoying your new job as a fancy-schmancy brain doctor, anyway?"

"I think you mind _psychologist_, genius," Nico said.

"I think you should shut up," Thalia shot back. It had little effect on Neeks, who just rolled his eyes in a typical 16 year old way.

"One: Don't fight, you might 'excite' the patients," I intervened. "Two: I actually do like my job, Tiny Tally." She looked like she was going to assault my leg again, but decided to be original and elbow me in the ribs.

"Uncle Poseidon told us that you were making progress with this one girl. It must be really fun to talk to somebody at your mental health level," she said.

"Actually she's my friend. Well, now she's my friend. I don't know, you might like her."

"What's her name?" Nico asked curiously. He was really excited when he found out that Dad was opening a recovery center, and even happier when he found out I was working one-on-one with a schizophrenic. It was mainly due to his sister Bianca. She died in a car accident 6 years ago. Bianca was only 14 and none of us really got over it. Nico dealt with it by forming an obsession with anything related to death, gore, or insanity. We were really worried at first, but it did seem to help him cope, and everyone grieves in different ways.

"Her name's Annabeth. Annabeth Chase."

"Cool name," Thalia commented. "It has a nice ring to it. When do we meet this special little lady?"

I laughed and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, which was a little hard because of the height difference. "Of course I'd let my favorite cousins meet my new friend," I fake-cooed and ruffled her hair. Instead of beating me, Thalia just gave up and laughed.

"You talking about me, Seaweed Brain?" I heard Annabeth say from behind me. She seemed very happy that I jumped back because she surprised me, but her smile died down a little bit when she saw Thalia.

"Who's that?" she asked with a fake-sweet tone. She was playing nice, but I could sense a bit of venom in her voice. Thalia either didn't notice or didn't care (I was betting on the latter.).

"I'm Grace. Thalia Grace," she said in a deep voice for a James Bond impression. Annabeth half-smiled, but it was almost a mean smile.

"Annabe-"

"Oh, I know who you are," Thalia interrupted, which seemed to seriously piss Annabeth off. "Percy's told us about you before over the phone."

"Oh," Annabeth said and twirled/pulled her hair. I noticed that she the bald spot the size of her palm was growing back a little. I just hoped that she didn't rip it all out again.

Annabeth gave Thalia a judgmental once-over and tuned to Nico. He was just staring at her with his mouth slightly open. Even I - and anyone can tell you that I put the "hopeless" in the term "hopeless romantic"- knew that he had one of those love-at-first-sight type of crushes. _Annabeth's beautiful and all, but he just met her! In an asylum, of all places_! I thought.

Annabeth smiled a real smile that practically dripped with sweetness at Nico, which probably didn't help. "Hi!" she chirped, kind of like those women on food commercials. "I guess you already know me, so I can just skip my part of the introductions. What's your name?" Nico seemed surprised that she was talking to him. _Looks like he's found his violent, schizophrenic, institutionalized dream girl!_

"Uh, I-I'm Nico DiAngelo," he answered (ever so eloquently, I might add). Annabeth smiled at him again, but her smile disappeared when she turned to Thalia and I.

"So are you a patient or something?" she asked monotonously. She was only talking to Thalia.

"_No,_" she spat, "I'm visiting Perce." Annabeth yanked out a strand of hair.

"Oh. Well I'm sure that _Perce_ could give you a tour then," she said.

"Actually, you know your way around way better than I do, Wise Girl," I said. "You think could help me out?" She looked almost hurt and very angry. _Jeez, I didn't even _do_ anything._

"Fine," Annabeth snapped at me. She glared at Thalia and then turned to Nico with that smile.

"You ready?" she asked with none of her previous malice. Nico nodded and followed her as she walked off to start the tour.

"So _that's_ your patient?" Thalia asked with a frown.

"Yep."

"Well she's just a sparkling ray of sunshine, isn't she?"

"I swear Annabeth's actually really cool. I don't really know what's up with her; she was fine this morning." Thalia tapped her lower lip in thought. Then she widened her bright blue eyes in a "eureka" sort of way.

"You said that you guys are friends, right?"

"Well, yeah."

"How long have you guys known each other?" she asked. _Not sure what this has to do with anything…_

"Two or three months, I think."

"How old is Annabeth, again?"

"19. Where are you even going with this?"

Thalia held up her hands in a "calm down" gesture. "I'm almost done, I swear. Last question: Does Annabeth know that we're cousins?"

I thought about it for a while. "No, I guess she doesn't. It never came up and we don't look that much alike besides the hair. So no, she probably has no idea." Thalia grinned at me for no apparent reason.

"What?" I asked. She rolled her eyes in a very Annabeth-esque way.

"Nothing," Tally muttered. "Boys are _such_ idiots."

"On behalf of me and my entire gender, that was uncalled for. I don't even know what you're talking about."

"Exactly," she laughed and stood on her tiptoes to mess up my already messed up hair. "You really are a Seaweed Brain."

"_You're_ calling me that now?" I groaned. "I already hear it every day from Annabeth."

"I'm sure you love it. Well, we better find our dear Nico," Thalia said, then smirked, "as well as your _friend_."

XXX-BREAK-XXX

We caught up with Annabeth and Nico by the one-on-one room. She was going on about how she loved the room, but its antique design didn't fit with the rest of the building and how the contexturalism was all wrong. Nico probably didn't understand –or care- but listened anyway. Annabeth heard Thalia and I come up before she saw us, even though we were a good distance behind her.

"Oh," she said without facing us, "it's you two." Her voice wasn't emotional or anything, but the dull tone made it sound mean nonetheless. Thalia, oddly enough, was smiling.

"Yep! Hope you're being nice to Neeks!" she chirped enthusiastically. "He's awfully sensitive." Nico turned slightly pink and flipped Thalia off, which made Annabeth smile a little bit. Thalia just blew them both kisses in return.

"So are you and Percy going to give us that special tour we've been waiting for?" she asked in that same happy tone.

"Sure," Annabeth replied. "I already gave Nico part of it, but I'm sure _Perce _could cover everything I missed." Annabeth then slightly cocked her head to side like she would when the Voices talked to her.

"Leave me alone, would you?" she said to her hallucinations. Nico and Thalia gave her funny looks, but I was used to it by then.

"Who are you talking to?' Nico asked in an awed tone.

"The Voices," Annabeth answered calmly. Both Nico and Thalia's eyes widened, but for different reasons.

"Cool," Nico whispered. _Leave it to Nico to find schizophrenia cool_.

"You know there's noth-" Thalia began, but I cut her off with a look. Annabeth knw what she was going to say, though. She's been hearing it all her life.

_You know there's nothing there, right?_

"Umm," Thalia said awkwardly. Annabeth waved her off.

"It's fine," she snapped. "I get it all the time." There was an awkward silence for about two minutes or so.

"So you're schizophrenic?" Thalia asked, which wasn't a very good way to un-awkward the situation.

"What's that?" Nico asked.

"Split personality disorder," Thalia answered, which was incorrect, and I knew Annabeth would correct her.

"Wrong," she said. "It's a 'disorder' that involves breakdown of thought processes and a deficit of normal emotional responses. But I wouldn't expect you to know that, Thalia." Nico and I could feel the girl-fight coming on, so he cut in before hair was ripped and fabric went flying.

"Hey, Annabeth!" he interrupted. "Why don't we finish that tour you were talking about?" She looked at him slowly nodded.

"Fine. I just hope that _Tally_ doesn't piss of the other patients like she does me. They're not as level-headed and I'd hate to see her get hurt."

XXX-BREAK-XXX

"So have you seen my brother anywhere?" Thalia asked while we walked the second floor. We still had no idea where Jason was, and the only thing Thalia loved more than eyeliner was her brother. Annabeth smiled a bit.

"I don't know. What's his name? What's he look like?"

"His name is Jason. He's blond, he has blue eyes, and he's taller than Percy," she laughed at the last part.

"It's only an inch or so, Thalia. The boy's not a freaking giant." Annabeth unsuccessfully stifled a giggle, but then remembered that she was mad at me for absolutely no reason and made her expression neutral again.

"I don't think I have seen him. But I'd be very afraid if I were you. This place isn't an asylum without reason. Some people here are a little off. If you think I'm weird, I'd hate to see your reactions to some of my friends." Thalia visibly paled, but Annabeth kept going.

"Why isn't he with you guys, anyway?" she asked.

"Some random girl dragged him away," Nico answered.

"Oh that's downright _stupid_," Annabeth gasped. "She could be a serial killer or something!"

"That's what I said!"

"Not now, Nico," Thalia chided. "Would somebody actually kill my brother?"

"Probably," Annabeth said in a cheery tone. "There's Leo. He's one my friends. Leo likes to set things on fire when he's upset. Usually it's only occupied homes and local schools, but I'm sure he could just light somebody up directly to save valuable time." Thalia actually put a hand over her heart.

"There's also Connor and Travis," Annabeth continued. "They're sadists, which means that they find pleasure in the pain of others. Before they got here, they would torture animals they found in their yard. Skinning them, microwaving them, drowning them, all while they were still alive. Mainly bunnies and sparrows; little animals like those. They're my friends too, by the way.

"Jason also could've come across Octavian. He's _not_ my friend. Tavy's a sociopath; he could murder your brother without a second thought. During his first week here, we were kind of acquaintances, but then during a group session he called me a psychopathic freak. How mean is that? So I permanently damaged his legs and what little was in between them." I almost felt sympathy for the guy. I'd been there, and it was not fun.

"So obviously Octavian doesn't bother me anymore. But I can't think of a good reason why he could seriously screw up your brother." Annabeth smiled sweetly at Thalia. "I hope you weren't too fond of Jason." Thalia narrowed her eyes and was about to give Annabeth some, well, _unkind_ feedback, but I cut in before shit could go down. Nobody, and I mean _nobody_, threatened Jason without Thalia stepping in.

"Annabeth, I need to talk to you for a second."

"No."

"It wasn't a question." I dragged her away while Nico held Thalia back. I could hear the angry stream of swear words already.

When I had Annabeth and I in a nearby corner (Ha!) I tried setting her straight, but she wasn't making any sense.

"Why are you intentionally scaring Thalia?" I asked. Annabeth gave me a cute, innocent face, which was totally fake.

"What are you talking about?" she asked in an equally cute and innocent tone. Anybody who didn't know her would've believed her, but I saw the sarcastic glint in her silver eyes.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. Why are you making up stories to scare my friends?"

"I'm not making up stories. Everything I said was true, even if I stretched the truth a tiny bit."

"You're trying to freak them out. You're doing this on purpose. Why are you acting so weird? You were fine this morning." Annabeth feigned hurt and gave an exaggerated gasp.

"I can't believe you'd accuse me of such a thing!" she cried. "Here I was trying to be to your guests and give them a nice tour, and you just shoot me down. I am so hurt." She fake wiped away a fake tear and stormed off to Nico and Thalia.

See? No sense was harmed in the making of that conversation. But that girl could win an Oscar.

When I walked over to my cousins, Annabeth was actually trying to help Thalia. Guess she couldn't be too mean for too long.

"What did the girl look like?" she asked Nico.

He tapped his chin for a second. "I didn't really see her. She was exotic looking, though. And she had choppy hair. I wasn't really paying attention."

"That's probably Piper. She's my friend."

"_Like the pyromaniac and the sadists were your friends?_" Thalia shot back. Annabeth didn't react.

"Piper's condition isn't as serious. She's a kleptomaniac, and she's close to being let out anyway. Calm down." Thalia relaxed a little bit and gave Annabeth a small smile, which was surprisingly returned. I guess they reached a silent agreement because they stopped glaring at each other. Progress.

"C'mon, I'll finish the tour. I know my way around way better than Seaweed Brain does," Annabeth said with a wink at me. Nico turned to me and grinned.

"Oh, I'm _so_ using that nickname."

XXX-BREAK-XXX

"Why would you eat a pinecone?" Annabeth asked Thalia. Thalia turned so red, even her freckles were pink.

"I was seven," she argued. "I didn't know any better."

"But pinecones are sharp and hard, why would you even want to eat it?"

"Seven. Years. Old."

"And that," Nico added, "is why we call her Pinecone Face. You should've seen her try to swallow it, it has hilarious."

"I almost choked, Nico."

"Yeah, that's why it was hilarious."

"Shut up, Death Breath."

"I'd rather not, Pinecone Face." Annabeth laughed, which didn't make Thalia any less angry.

"Whatever," she spat and rolled her eyes. "Oh hey Mr. P!" she called out towards my dad, who was casually walking up to us with Silena. He was wearing a blue floral print shirt like a stereotypical tourist would, which seemed really out of place considering the environment. Silena was wearing her regular nurses' uniform.

"Hey Thalia," he laughed back. Poseidon waved goodbye to Silena, who was leaving early for a date, I think.

"So how did you enjoy your tour? Nothing dangerous happened, right?" He was joking, but also half-serious.

"Nope," Nico said, "it was actually pretty interesting."

"You are so morbid," Thalia muttered.

"Says the girl with the 'Death to Barbie' shirt."

"Touché."

Poseidon just laughed some more; he thought Thalia and Nico's "witty banter" was hilarious. He noticed Annabeth with us at that point. "Hello Annabeth," he said kindly. "What're you doing here? You're not breaking your schedule again, are you?"

"Hello Poseidon," she said in that cute, innocent voice. "And, no. Percy gave me permission to help him give his friends a tour. So I was following his orders." _Blame on everything on me, won't you?_

"Oh, did you have fun giving my niece and nephews a tour?" Annabeth's jaw actually dropped, which I thought only happened in cartoons, so it was pretty funny.

"W-wait, _what_?" she stammered. "They're your niece and nephew?"

"Yes."

"So that means that they're Percy's cousins, right?"

"That's typically what happens." Annabeth's mouth formed a little "o" and she raised her eyebrows so high, I thought they would fly off her face. Thalia just gave me a knowing smile.

"Oh," she said. She was turned redder by the minute.

"Yeah, _oh_," Thalia giggled. She put a hand on Annabeth's shoulder, which was funny because Annabeth was almost five inches taller.

"Don't worry," Thalia said, "I'm not mad. I figured it out before he did." She gave Annabeth a hug (_Weren't they trying to rip out each others' jugulars? What's going on?_) and pulled her down to whisper something in her ear. Annabeth blushed and laughed, but I couldn't hear what was said.

"Where's Jason?" Poseidon asked with a _please don't tell me he's dead_ expression.

"He was kidnapped by Piper," Annabeth said. "They're probably in her room, I'll go get them." At that moment, Piper decided to take a trip down to the lobby, where we were.

"Actually, there's no need," Annabeth said upon seeing them. "Piper!" she yelled. Piper tuned, sending uneven brown hair flying, and waved back. Like Annabeth predicted, Jason was with her. When they walked over, I saw that Jason had a weird look on his face.

"Hey Beth," Piper said happily. She looked happier than I'd ever seen her, and she was a generally happy person. Jason looked the same; his blue eyes were bright and excited.

"Hi Piper," Annabeth said. "Sorry to interrupt, but Jason needs to go home now." Both Piper and Jason frowned. "Don't worry," Annabeth added, "You can see each other again when he visits. As it tunes out, he's related to Poseidon." She and Thalia giggled a bit at the word "related", leaving Nico and I confused.

"That's fantastic!" Piper cried. "You'll visit, right Jason?"

"Of course I will, Pipes," Jason said sweetly. "When are the visiting times?"

"You can just ask Poseidon, but I think the next visiting day is a week from now."

"I'll be there."

"This is sweet and all," Thalia cut in, "but we have a train to catch, Jase." Jason frowned.

"Fine." He turned to Piper. "It was really nice meeting you."

"You, too."

"Um, train," Thalia added. She then grabbed Nico and Jason's wrists in one hand, and waved good bye to us with the other.

"Bye everybody!" she called. "See you next week, maybe, possibly!"

Annabeth shook her head. "You cousins are crazy," she said.

"I know."

"They're pretty cool."

"I know."

XXX-BREAK (I know, there's a lot)-XXX

By the time we got back to Annabeth's room, she missed everything from individual tutoring to free time, which was my fault in a way, but she didn't seem to mind. She sat on her bed and grabbed a hairbrush from her desk.

"That was fun," she said and started brushing her platinum hair.

"Yeah, in the end. I still don't know why you were being so mean."

"I wasn't mean the entire time. I did feel bad when I saw how worried Thalia was for her brother. I felt the same way when Bobby and Matthew accidentally got lost here a while back. Turns out they were hiding under Silena's desk, the bastards."

"But you do admit that you were being mean at first?" She put down her brush and started braiding her hair into pigtails.

"I guess I was being the teeny-tiniest bit mean towards the beginning," she admitted. "But Thalia and I obviously made up, so it's all good."

"Why were you doing it in the first place?" I asked as I walked over to sit next to her. She blushed.

"It was a stupid reason," she whispered, even though I wasn't that close to her and nobody else was around. "It's not even worth mentioning."

"C'mon, tell me." Annabeth shook her head.

"Tell me."

"No."

"You know I'll get it out of you somehow."

"Yeah right." I poked her shoulder repeatedly until I accidentally pushed her off of the bed. She landed on the tile floor with a loud _thump_ and her hair fell around her head like a halo.

"Ow!" she cried indignantly. "You didn't have to push me!"

"I'll keep poking you if you don't tell me," I threatened. Annabeth put up her hands in defeat.

"Alright, alright!" she laughed/groaned. "I'll tell you." Her expression sobered. "But you have to swear not to laugh or think ill of me." She held out her pinky finger in the age-old tradition of the pinky swear. I used my little finger to grab hers and give it a firm shake.

"I guess," she said, "I didn't like Thalia at first because I didn't know she was your cousin."

"What does being my cousin have to do with anything?"

"I was a little…jealous," she said slowly, waiting for my reaction. Of course, I didn't understand what she was saying.

"Because…?" Annabeth rolled her eyes and groaned in exasperation. She looked like she was going to hit me. Instead she did something even weirder:

She kissed me. Annabeth Chase kissed me.

And I actually kissed her back.

Annabeth

When most people have their first kiss, a million thoughts run through their head, or so I've heard. _This is so cool! I can't believe I'm having my first kiss! I'll never forget this_. Things like that. Only one thought flashed through my mind:

_She's going to kill me. _

**Sorry for mistakes, I didn't proofread. But it's the longest I've ever written, so that's a plus! I had that planned since before I even published this. Now the next chapters are going to suck because I have no experience with writing romance. **

**Check out the companion fic (which I haven't updated due to laziness) and R&R&R!**


	16. Chapter 16

NeonHedgehog- **She's one of my favorites, too. Don't worry, the next time she comes Annabeth will be a lot nicer. :)**

Greek Wise Girl- **_Apotamkin_****. I see the resemblance.**

The Mystery Girl (Mysterious Guest)- **I feel like Coach Hedge is going to die since Grand Master Tro-Rick Riordan probably wouldn't kill his main characters. Don't you wish you could meet everybody on Fan Fiction, like a convention or something? How cool would that be?**

Death to Mali (Murderous Guest) – **I'm a Grammar-Nazi-in-training myself. :) In fact, I was reading my past chapters the other day and I nearly cried because of my poor grammar! And yes, everybody hates Mali. Everybody.**

4everLucky18 – **You got it. **

Otakusofia (Epic Guest)- **I will try to address almost everything you said:** **It's ok, I don't mind. What were you confused about? I wasn't planning on elaborating on how she does it, but I might explain later. Trolol. Don't feel sorry. Unless it hurt. Right? That was my biggest problem with Thalico in the first place (and the age difference). He does like her. Nobody likes Mali. I love chocolate! I won't tell if/when she leaves, but she and the Voices are a package deal. Screaming is fun!**

peanut-butter-mouse – **Tell Phillip I said bye back!**

TailsDoll13 – **Try it, it's hilarious! I don't mind if you do, but Nico's not going to show up that often, so neither would she. But Nico does need a girlfriend; we can't have him interrupting Percabeth, now can we?**

ShirlyLovesPJO- **When Thalia was eight she decided to eat a pinecone for no reason. I couldn't really think of another way to do it.**

Annabeth

I was a dead woman.

Was I glad that Percy kissed me back after, on a sudden and stupid impulse, I kissed him? Yes, I was ecstatic, as in _on-Cloud-Nine_ ecstatic. But I knew how Mali would act. The Voices already warned me.

_You're in so much trouble, little girl. _I felt so safe.

It had only been a day since the kiss, which I referred to as The Incident, and I was incredibly nervous. And not just because of the awkward vibe Percy and I put out when we first saw each other that day. Every little thump or slight movement was Mali coming to attack me, at least in my imagination. I put the _paranoid_ in _paranoid schizophrenic_, which wasn't a good feeling. I hated fear, and I was freaking terrified. I hadn't seen Mali since The Incident, but the Voices were lighting up my fear like matches to kerosene. _You're horrible. We're disappointed in you. You're a traitor._

_ We can't _wait_ to see what Mali will do to you. _

XXX-BREAK-XXX

"You did what?" Katie asked, not yelled, but simply asked in her quiet voice. Reyna just widened her big, brown eyes in shock. I _had _to tell somebody; it was building up in my thoughts and I didn't want to burst. Both Katie and Reyna were good friends of mine and they were both really good at keeping secrets. Katie barely spoke to people as a general rule and Reyna never spoke at all and her communication notebook was so heavily guarded, it might as well have been under government protection. So during outside time, which all three of us spent indoors, I asked them all to meet me in the Sanctuary. I figured that it was a nice, private place and it wasn't full of people, so Katie wouldn't be scared. She was fine with two people, though. But Reyna and I did have to be sure not to sit too close to her. I just told them about The Incident, and neither of them were taking it well.

"I kiss-"

Katie held up a hand. "Never mind. I don't think Reyna wants to hear it again." She was right; Reyna's mouth was tight and her eyes were still wide. She was a stickler for rules, even if she didn't act like it (Travis calls her "Rule Nazi".). I hated seeing her- my _best friend_ here- so angry with me.

"Rey, please say something. Or write something, I guess." She sighed and pulled out her purple communication notebook. She hastily scribbled down a few sentences and gave the notebook to Katie to read aloud.

"Quote: 'I can't believe you would do that, Annabeth,'" Katie-as-Reyna said. "'It's great that you two like each other and all, but I'm not even sure if this is legal. Percy could lose his job. And he's pretty much the nicest specialist we've ever had.' End quote." I frowned; the thought had crossed my mind, but I ignored it at the time.

_You should listen to Reyna,_ the Voices whispered. _She's pretty smart. You like this boy so much, so why don't you consider the consequences before you do something idiotic._

"I know." Reyna's expression softened and she took the notebook back from Katie to write more. Then she gave it to me directly.

_Look, I'm actually really happy for you. I knew you liked him even before __you__ did. But I don't want him to lose his job, Beth. You have to consider the possible aftermath. I'm sure you could keep it a secret if you tried, but make sure you know what you're doing. _I smiled at the piece of paper, which admittedly felt a little weird. I reached over and squeezed Rey's hand, and she gave me small smile. Katie didn't mind our private conversation; she'd rather stay out of private or emotional things like that.

"Well," Katie mused while combing her straight, black hair with her fingers, "it's awfully romantic, even if I don't _fully _approve. You do have to tell me every detail."

"Trust me, Kate, I probably won't be able to keep it all in without bursting." Reyna wrote in her notebook some more.

_Which is implying that you are going to continue, correct? _I shrugged.

"Probably," I said. "I really like hanging out with him. I want to see where this goes."

_Traitor. You're a horrible friend, _the Voices spat._ Why would you do this to us?_

_Why are you being so temperamental? _I mentally shot back_. I'm not even doing anything wrong, damn it! Why can't you all just shut up and leave me alone? I'm not a puppet!_

_Yet you _are_. You call us your friends, but if anything, it's the other way around. Why won't accept that? Everything was so much easier when you did. I can't believe you let some boy get between us. We're your everything, Annabeth. You're going to have to deal with it. _

"Actually, I'm a _person,_ not a toy," I shouted, "and you can't make me do anything I don't want to do! So why don't all of you just _shut up_ for a change, and yes, that means Mali." I hadn't realized I was speaking out loud until Reyna and Katie gave me strange looks. They were pretty used to things like that, so they looked more concerned than freaked out.

"Sorry," I apologized. "I was talking to them."

"Is something wrong?" Katie asked, her big, brown eyes brimming with worry. She was constantly concerned about the few people she cared about, unless they were doing something stupid (cough, cough, _Travis, Connor, Leo_, cough). I shook my head. The Voices didn't respond to my outburst.

Then, out of nowhere, my head went cold. As in, my brain literally felt like someone put it in a freezer overnight. It was weird at first, but then it turned into an odd, freezing pain, like a _really_ intense case of frost burn. I grit my teeth and squeezed my eyes shut, but the pain just became more intense. My head was throbbing and my ears were ringing. It was like that headache I had that first time I "took" my medications, only not as bad. Still, I resorted to repeatedly face-palming to stop the pain.

Guess what? It didn't work.

"What's wrong?" I heard Katie ask. But her voice was sluggish, like I was hearing it through water-no-_honey_. My vision was fine, but slightly blackened at the edges. And the cold, pulsating pain kept going.

_Don't worry,_ I heard them whisper through the increased beating of my heart. _At least you're only dealing with us. She probably won't be as forgiving. _

XXX-BREAK-XXX

The light they put in my eyes didn't help. If anything, it just burned the crap out of my eyes. The nurse just waved it in my face back and forth. I knew that it was a common medical procedure, but did the light have to be so bright? Couldn't they have toned it down, just a little bit?

"Looks like you're ok," the nurse, Dr. Just-call-me-Will Solace, said. "You seem to be functioning normally. Your headache was probably just another perk of being schizophrenic. If you don't want another one, I'd consider taking your medications." Will started out as an intern when I first was admitted to Half-Blood, so we had become friends over the years. I always thought he should've been a surfer; he fit the image exactly, with sun-kissed skin, blond hair, blue eyes, and an athletic build. We would fake-flirt when we were younger, but I never saw him as anything other than a good friend and he felt the same way.

"You know I can't do that," I said. He just shrugged and ran a hand through his yellow hair. _Why couldn't you,_ the Voices teased. _You've already betrayed us._ I didn't answer, verbally or mentally, because I didn't want another splitting headache. Besides, I wasn't really, _really_ worried about them. I was worried about _her_.

_She probably won't be as forgiving._

"Oh, I forgot to mention," Will said, snapping me out of my reverie, "you have a visitor."

_A visitor?_ "Who?"

"I'm not telling. Try to guess."

"Fine. Boy or girl?" I figured that it was Reyna or Katie, since they were the ones who dragged me down to the infirmary.

"It's a boy," Will said. _Definitely not Reyna or Katie._

"Is it Leo?" I asked. Leo had been trying to appease me for months He still thought I was mad about the bed thing because I hadn't retaliated, which was really stupid because I stopped caring a while ago. I was considering doing something horrible to him just so he could relax afterwards.

"Nope."

"The Stolls?"

"I don't even _let_ those guys in here anymore. They kept harassing my patients and breaking the equipment. And that's just the stuff I know about." Yeah, he should've checked his wallet last time they visited.

"Well, those are my only close guy friends who are patients."

Will grinned, flashing straight, whitened teeth. "He's not a patient. And if you don't know who he is after _that_ clue, I might have to give you another examination, this time of your head."

_He's not a patient._ Oh, now I know. Gods, I might need to get another examination, after all.

"I can tell him to come in, if you like," Will said. I nodded. Will went outside to get Percy, momentarily leaving me almost alone in the big, white infirmary.

_Oh, _this _should be good,_ they giggled. I mentally brushed it off and decided to rest for a second. I put my head back down on the lush, cool, pillow. I looked around the infirmary for a second. It was pure white all over, even the medical equipment. I was lying on a hard cot that was on a white-painted metal near the first door. Each section of the infirmary had two white, soundproof doors: One to let doctors and visitors and another to separate each emergency room. I closed my eyes, but I heard the door open and close.

"Hey Wise Girl," Percy said carefully, like he was walking on thin ice. I didn't sit back up, but I did open my eyes and face him.

"Hi Seaweed Brain," I answered. I made sure to smile to relieve the awkward tension, and it seemed to work because he smiled back.

"So…what happened?" he asked.

"Headache. The Voices are mad at me."

"Really? Why?" I just twirled a piece of hair around my index finger. Percy seemed to get the message and he awkwardly ruffled his own hair.

"Oh, right. _That_," he muttered. "I'm still not sure why they don't like me."

"Me neither, but I guess it hardly matters." Silence. "Do you want to sit down?" I asked and got up to make room for him.

"Oh, sure, sure." Percy sat next to me in a way that he was close enough to be friendly, but not so close that it would be awkward. It was an amiable sort of position. We sat in surprisingly comfortable silence for a while.

"So when are we going to talk about it?" I asked. I mean, we couldn't have spent the rest of our time together skirting around certain words and gestures.

"Maybe around the same time we stop calling it 'it'."

"Huh. Touché. So when are we going to talk about _our kiss_?"

"I guess we're going to talk about _our kiss_ right now," he sighed. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know. Everything I guess." _You two are so damn _awkward_. It's like watching 6__th__ graders, _they laughed_. _But, hey, they weren't wrong. "I almost wish that we could go back to normal when we could just talk to each other." Percy looked a little bit crestfallen.

"So you regret it," he said bitterly. It wasn't a question, either.

"I never said that," I laughed. He perked up a bit. "I actually do like you." _How sweet. We hate sweet. _

"I like you too," he admitted. "I guess that should've been a little obvious since I kissed you, but I feel like I had to get that out."

"It did make me feel a little better," I said with a blush. I was a little paranoid that his return of my affections was just a spur-of-the-moment thing, so I felt like a weight had been lifted off of my heart and mind.

"So what are we going to do?" I asked. He shrugged.

"I'm your supervisor, Beth," he said. "I don't even know if it's allowed." He sounded like Reyna, which I told him.

"You told her?" he asked incredulously. Percy's sea green eyes were wide, which I found really cute.

"Her and Katie."

"What if they tell my dad?" he hissed. It wasn't mean, though; it was heading in the direction of scared.

"Don't worry. Reyna and Katie can keep secrets. That's why I told them and not my other friends. Although, I guess I could've told Calypso since she already knew."

"What do you mean by that?"

"She may or may not have known that you liked me before you did." Percy's expression was priceless; it said _Holy crap, am I that readable?_

"_Well_, then."

"It's okay," I chuckled, "I was surprised after I figured it out. Anyway, getting back on the topic of whether or not this is allowed: What would you do if it was?" I was afraid of his answer, but I need to know. Percy smiled.

"I'd probably date you," he admitted. _Yes!_ my inner-self shouted. My outer-self remained calm.

_"_You'd _probably_ date me_?"_ I teased.

"Ok, I _would_ date you. Is that better?" I jokingly flipped my blond hair back.

"_Much_ better." He laughed out loud, and his green eyes turned greener.

"Well, I can't believe that you're into me like that." Percy turned to me looking astonished.

"Why?" he inquired with genuine curiosity and shock. "You're so smart and fun and pretty." _Yeah right_, the Voices laughed. I didn't care; I wasn't one of those girls who based their entire self-esteem off of what some boy thinks of them, but I _did_ feel pretty good after hearing Percy say that.

"I'm in a mental hospital. Most guys wouldn't want to go out with a girl who's been diagnosed as schizophrenic." _You're absolutely right,_ the Voices said.

He leaned in close to me and whispered in my ear. "I'm not most guys," he said softly. I could feel his breath on shell of my ear; it was warm, but I shivered despite myself. Percy laughed at my reaction and I punched him in the arm.

"That-really-hurt," he said through clenched teeth while holding his arm.

"Sorry," I said cheerily. "I was an awesome athlete before I came here."

"My arm is well aware of that now," he groaned. _Hit him again! Hit him again!_ I shook my head.

"Percy?"

"Yup?"

"What are we going to do?" I asked, reminding us both of the issue at hand. He frowned.

"I honestly don't know," he sighed. "On one hand, I really like my job and I don't want to lose it. On the other hand…" he trailed off and reached for my hand. He held it in his and looked at my fingers.

"I really like _you_ and I don't want to lose you." I couldn't contain a blush, and I felt one spread across my face. Percy laughed and squeezed my hand. I thought back on my conversation with Reyna and Katie when I remembered something Rey had written.

_I'm sure you could keep it a secret if you tried._

"I have an idea," I announced. Percy raised one dark eyebrow in a _Go on_ gesture.

"We don't have to let anybody know. Well, anyone who doesn't already know. I guess we could keep it a secret. I'm sure we could if we really tried." He cocked his head to the side like people said I did when I was hearing the Voices.

"Sounds…"

"Insane? Illogical? Immature?"

"I was going to say _exciting_, although your adjectives work as well." I laughed. _We like _your_ adjectives much better._

"I guess it's a go then?" I asked. Percy looked me in the eye, green on grey.

"It's a go." Then he gave me the lightest kiss on the cheek in existence.

After we left the infirmary, I still felt like I was dancing on air with butterflies in my stomach.

XXX-BREAK-XXX

I was still in a cheery mood when I got back to my room, but it dissipated within seconds. I felt a chill run down my spine, like an evil snowman breathing down my back. I didn't need to guess what-_who_-it was.

Before I could say a thing to Mali, I felt a hard hand clamped around my mouth and another grab my arm. A swift foot kicked me in the back of my knee and I toppled like a Jenga tower. My forehead smacked the ground with the sharp sound that can only be made by flesh and bone hitting concrete. The pain was bad, but tolerable, and I knew I would have a nasty bruise. Mali flipped me over so that I was lying on my back instead of my stomach.

"Hi," she caroled directly over my face. Despite the slight tremble of her hands and the twitch of her black eyes, her voice was cheerleader-peppy.

"So, looks like little Beth got a boyfriend," Mali sang. "That's so cute." She smiled at me, showing off her sharp teeth. She stood up and sauntered over to my desk. I was reminded of a ballerina; she was twirling a bit and her back hair was in a neat bun. Mali waved an elegant hand over my jar of pens and pencils until she picked one she liked. It was a common red pen, like the ones that were a dollar for 20 at drug stores.

"And it's so cute how you guys are secretly dating," she went on. "It's almost like _Romeo and Juliet_, which is ironic since you hate that story." She balanced the pen on one pale finger. "I always liked it, though. Do you know _why_ I always liked _Romeo and Juliet_?" I shook my head and pulled at a small section of my hair as Mali twirled to me. She then knelt down so that we were face to face. Her giant eyes were sadistic.

"I like the ending," she chuckled. "It's so…_unhappy._ Romeo and Juliet's irritating puppy lust ends up not only killing some of their loved ones, but _themselves_. It's just beautiful." Mali gave an airy laugh and balanced the red pen on her tiny nose. "But, I certainly wouldn't want to reenact it, at least not certain parts."

Before I knew what was going on, Mali had a hand wrapped around my throat and was squeezing the life out of me. It was life having someone try to burn your lungs and throat. I kicked and clawed at her hand, but it just made her squeeze harder. Your head's going to pop like a bubble, the Voices laughed, but it was harsh, cacophonic laughter that burned my ears.

"I hate to do this to you," Mali said with false sympathy, "but if we're playing Romeo and Juliet, there are a few scenes I'd like to change." With her last word, she uncapped the pen and stabbed me in the shoulder with it.

I'm not sure if you know this, but being stabbed with a blunt object is much worse than being stabbed with a sharp object. With sharp objects, it goes right through and that's it. With blunt objects, it doesn't go through, so the person stabbing you has to push down even harder to cut you. Your skin keeps getting pushed down, but there's no release because it won't go through without a large amount of pressure. Of course this was exactly what Mali wanted to happen.

I felt the pen dig into my shoulder blade and almost stretch the sensitive skin and dig into the bone. I bit down to stop the screams, but it didn't help that she was doing it over and over and over.

"If you want to be in my play, that's just fine," Mali whispered while still stabbing me with that pen. The skin around my shoulder was red and inflamed.

"But if you're going to be Juliet, I won't be your dead Tybalt, sweetheart. _I'm_ going to live in my production." My shoulder was burning and boiling from the rush of blood. I almost wanted to get stabbed with a knife just so the skin would break already.

"But my adaption _might_ have a tiny twist that you should know about." Mali shoved the pen so deep into my shoulder that the skin finally broke and deep, red blood poured out of the new wound. I tried to scream, but she pinched my lips together with her nails.

"In this version, Juliet might die first."

**I just uploaded a super dark one-shot called **Monster**. I really like the writing, but the content is pretty messed up.**

**Read the companion fic and review your thought on my feeble attempt at Percabeth.**

**R&R&R!**


	17. Chapter 17

**IMPORTANT****: A lot of people were confused by Mali hurting Annabeth since she's imaginary. In actuality, Annabeth's hurting herself. But most schizophrenics (and I'm not making this up) can touch/feel their hallucinations like they could any real person, so she doesn't realize it. Sorry for the confusion!**

(Epic) Guest- **She's short compared to the rest of her family, hence the nickname. BTW I think it's a tiny bit below average for her age, although I'm not positive. **

boywhosavedtheworld – **This won't have a sequel, if that's what you mean. But I am planning on publishing something after this is done. I shall reveal no details until further notice. **

thegreyeyedgirl(Epic Guest)- **I do get your reviews, it just occurred to me that my responses take up a lot of space. But do not fret, I shall respond in le future. :)**

TailsDoll13 – **I think you covered it all! She'll probably pop up in either the next chapter or the one after. I'm actually pretty excited so, yay! **

peanut-butter-mouse- **Dear Phillip: I pretty much come here all the time. Who needs outdoors when you have computers? **

Doclover- **Thanks! And this story stems from a very long back-story (I haven't been institutionalized if you were wondering that). I might publish said back-story, but I'm not sure.**

**Is it a rule that you have to have a disclaimer? 'Cause if it's not, I'm not going to use them unless I find an entertaining one. But until I find out, I don't own PJO. **

Percy

I could actually understand criminals.

There's a sort of weird rush you get when you do something you know you shouldn't. It's like adrenaline just races through your body and tingles in your flesh. Of course, dating a girl you're not supposed to and-oh, I don't know-_killing_ somebody or robbing a bank are very different types of things-you-shouldn't-do. Same idea, though.

Annabeth and I had been dating for about a week, and every day the adrenaline pumped faster. It was almost hard to be with her when other people were present because I felt like I would accidentally say something too personal or lovey-dovey or whatever. Annabeth didn't seem to have the same fears.

"Hey Seaweed Brain," she sing-songed that morning during her outside time, which she always spent indoors. She happily walked up to me right in front of everybody in the waiting room like it was nothing. Her long-sleeved dress flowed when she moved. "What are you doing right now?"

"Um I-I'm just about to go organize some notes," I said, stammering slightly. She smiled and reached up to ruffle my hair.

"Look at you, being all nervous for no reason," she laughed. "Seriously though, what's wrong?"

I removed her hand from my hand and leaned down a bit. "Don't you think you shouldn't be so nice to me in front of all these people?" I asked in a hushed tone. Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"There's only, like, three people in here, for starters. Besides, I did stuff like that all the time, even before we started, um…"

"Dating?" I supplied, mainly because her reaction was hilarious. She always turned a light pink and half-smiled at the floor. Annabeth told me that she'd never really dated before because of Mali and that her surprise attack on me was her first real kiss (the one in the Sanctuary with a mystery girl, whose identity hadn't been revealed, didn't count). She said anything pertaining to a relationship made her a bit dizzy. So of course I took advantage of it.

"Oh, shut up, Seaweed Brain," she said while lightly punching me in the stomach. Well, it was probably light in her opinion. Oddly enough, it seemed to hurt her a lot more than it did me. I saw Annabeth cradle one hand with the other and mutter angrily under her breath.

"What happened to your hand?" I asked. Annabeth shook her head.

"It's nothing. It just hurts a bit; it was stupid to try and punch you."

"That was a hard punch, Wise Girl."

"Don't be a sissy, Seaweed Brain," she giggled, her hand temporarily forgotten. I reached out for it, but she shrank back.

"It's fine, really," she insisted.

"C'mon, Annabeth, I just want to see what's wrong." She sighed and shoved her hand in my face. Touchy.

"Jeez, Wise Girl, you have to try and punch me for the second time today?" Annabeth raised an eyebrow.

"You asked to see my hand," she said innocently, but she was smirking.

"True, but I didn't want my eye to know what your hand tasted like."

"I'm just going to pretend like that makes sense." She pointed to my hand to remind me what I was going to do, so I held it gently and inspected it. Her pale fingers were slightly bent in some places and had dark purple splotches adorning them. The long nails were jagged and the knuckles looked a little swollen.

"Gods, how did that happen? When did it happen? Seriously, Beth, your hand looks like it went into the mouth of a rabid dog."

"First of all, a bunch of books fell on my hand; second of all, it just happened sometime this morning; third of all, if my hand was in a dog's mouth, it would have bite marks on it, which it doesn't."

"You really expect me to believe that some _books _did this to you? Pretty sure that's not possible. It looks like a _person_ did this."

Annabeth widened her eyes. "You don't believe me? Why not?"

"The book would have had to fall on you, I don't know, maybe 20 times in 20 different places to make these many separate and distinct bruises. You're lying."

Her grey eyes clouded with worry. "Fine. The Stolls got mad at me for calling them idiots and they did this to my hand. I didn't want to tell because I can handle it on my own and I didn't want them to get into trouble with Poseidon." I felt a weird, tingling anger build up in my gut, and I had the urge to punch both of the Stolls. _Hard._ Annabeth sensed my anger and put her uninjured hand on my shoulder.

"It's fine, Seaweed Brain. I can take care of it myself. Trust me, it won't be the first time I've set them straight." I was still pissed, so she checked for onlookers and quickly kissed me when she saw none.

"Really, calm down," Annabeth soothed while rubbing calming circles into my shoulder. "It's all good, I swear." I relaxed a bit and she grinned at me. I gave her a half-hug, but she cried out in pain.

"Ow! Crap!" she exclaimed and rubbed her shoulder. "Sorry, I hurt my shoulder the other day. Still pretty sore."

"Sorry," I apologized. "What happened?" Annabeth visibly paled and pulled at her hair.

"I stepped on one of Juniper's flowers and she stabbed me," she said. "I mean, she did apologize, but it's not like that made it hurt any less." _Weird, Juniper's so peaceful. Then again, she _does_ attack people who mess with her plants. Even then…_

"That doesn't seem like something you would do, or Juniper for that matter."

"She was having a bad day and so was I, but we're over it now." _Liar, liar, hospital uniform on fire. _

"Still, you and Juni are friends so-"

"Can we just drop it?" Annabeth asked. She purposely widened her eyes and half-frowned because she knew I thought it was cute.

"S-sure," I stammered.

"Good. Now, c'mon, Seaweed Brain. I don't want to spend my indoor outside time all alone."

XXX-TRALALA LINE BREAK-XXX

I would always notice things about Annabeth, even before we started dating and even more after we started. So, of course, I was the first person to notice her odd _injuries_. Annabeth started turning her leg when she walked to avoid putting too much pressure, she stopped using her right arm unless absolutely necessary, she was constantly rubbing circles on her waist, and, of course, there was her hand. Whenever I casually brought it up in a conversation, Annabeth easily evaded an explanation (read: she would kiss me and I stopped trying to talk). After her explanation of her damaged hand, I figured the Stolls did something to her. So I had to bring it up when I saw them.

"Yo, Jackson!" Travis called out to me in the hall during free time. Of course Connor was with him. They practically had an invisible cord connecting them at the hip. They were probably going to ask me about a new prank or something (so I like pranks, sue me), but I really didn't feel like talking to them _at all._

"What?" I snapped. The Stolls sensed my irritation and held up their hands.

"Whoa, there, Jackson," Connor said. "What's got your panties in a twist?"

I pretended to think about it. "Let's see, maybe the fact that you practically _broke _my patient's hand? Does that ring a bell?" The Stolls glanced at each other in genuine confusion.

"You mean Annabeth?" Travis asked incredulously. "'Cause we didn't do anything to her."

"We may like hurting other people," Connor added, "but we sure don't like getting hurt."

"Yeah, man. We're not suicidal. Did you _see_ yourself after she kicked your ass? We aren't going there. Like, ever. Not after our first day."

Connor held his arm, remembering the incident. "Never call Annabeth a dumb blonde if you value the use of your limbs.

"True that," Travis laughed. Then he turned to me. "In all seriousness, we didn't do anything to her. Who told you that anyway?"

At that moment, I felt like a huge jerk. Sure, they could've been lying, but something was telling me that they weren't. "Actually, uh…from Annabeth." The Stolls frowned, their blue eyes darkening slightly.

"That's…" Travis began.

"Weird?" Connor finished.

"Yeah. Annabeth never lies about her friends, unless, of course, it's in their favor," Travis stated. "She's kinda loyal like that. If she's lying in order to make her friends look bad, something's up."

"Speaking of," I said, "she also said something about Juniper stabbing her in the shoulder. I didn't really believe _that_ one."

"Little Juni?" Connor laughed. "Not in a million years. She straight-up _adores_ Annabeth. The one time she ever hurt one of Juniper's flowers, all Juni did was yell at her and not talk to her for an hour. Then everything went back to normal."

"Wonder what's up with Beth?" Travis mused while scratching his brown hair.

"Me too, guys," I sighed. "Me too."

XX- BREAK- XX

I finally caught up with Annabeth at the end of the day. It was normally when she'd receive her medications, but I knew that wasn't going to happen for a while. She was hell-bent on avoiding them. Regardless, I had to go to her because of the Half-Blood rules. But since it wasn't super-urgent, I didn't mind being a tiny bit late. I lightly tapped on her door with my knuckles when I got there, but even after two minutes, Annabeth didn't answer.

"Annabeth," I said, trying to be heard through the door. Still, no answer.

"Wise Girl, open the door. I need to come in." Nada.

"I break in if you don't answer," I threatened. I just about to deliver a Chuck Norris style roundhouse kick when I heard the door locks click. I was actually disappointed; I was looking forward to the roundhouse kick.

The door cracked open a bit and I saw a few strands of long hair peek out. "Percy?" Annabeth asked.

"Duh."

"Sorry, I just don't really want any company right now. Could you just come back later or something?"

"Not really. It's kind of in my job description to be here right now. So I _have_ to."

"Does your job description also say that you can date your patient?" _Touché._

"Annabeth," I warned. "Open. Up. The door." She closed it. I was going to commence the roundhouse, but she opened it again. _Damn._

"Hi," she said. Her tone was cheery, but there were tearstains on her face and her smile was obviously pained and forced.

"Why didn't you open the door?"

"Well you sure don't like to beat around the bush, do you?" she sing-songed. Annabeth reverted back to her normal voice. "I just didn't want any company. It really has nothing to do with you."

"Why? What happened?" Annabeth said nothing and just looked down at the floor. I followed her line of sight and saw that one of her toes was off. As in, bloody-and-raw kind of off. The toenail had been torn off. When she saw that I saw it, she tried hiding her foot, but it was too late.

"Holy Mother of God, what happened to your toe?" Annabeth twirled her hair and wiped nonexistent tears from her pale face.

"It was an accident. I tripped." _Yeah, right._ Like I was going to believe that.

"Oh so you tripped?" She nodded. "Is this like what went down with the Stolls and your hand? Because I spoke with them earlier and they had absolutely no idea what I was talking about." She paled even further. "I also brought up Juniper. They said that she adored you and would never do anything like, oh, viciously stab you in the shoulder." Annabeth sighed and looked at the veiling, then the window. I grabbed her face and made her look me in the eye.

"Why did you lie to me?" I asked softly.

"I'm sorry. I really, truly am sorry. But if I told you, I'd be dead."

"_Dead?"_

"She would've killed me for sure," she whispered. _She? Who's this chick who wants to freaking murder-_oh.

"Mali?" Annabeth nodded gravely.

"She's relentless," Annabeth said. "She and the Voices have been torturing me for days now. Sure, there were times when they've been really, really, cruel, but this is out of control. If the Voices aren't screaming at me, Mali's kicking my ass. If Mali's not kicking my ass, the Voices are screaming at me. And it's not like I can run away or anything and-" Annabeth growled and balled up her fists, even the injured one. She started furiously beating her head in frustration.

"Annabeth your hand…"

"I don't care! I'm so tired of this. I'm sick and tired of this!" Annabeth shouted. "I _hate_ this!"

"You're tired of Mali and he Voices." It wasn't a question. Annabeth pulled up her sleeves and rubbed her arms, which were covered in a layer of small, shallow scars. _So that's why she's been wearing so much long-sleeved stuff lately._

"I'm tired of these," Annabeth sighed. "I'm tired of the scars and the bruises and the psychological abuse. They keep torturing me and I can't escape them. I'm _powerless_. I wish I wouldn't have to see Mali again or hear another voice." Her eyes suddenly widened and she put her head in her hands. I could see her nails dig into her temples.

"It's the Voices," Annabeth groaned. "They're at it again." She shot out her hand to grab my arm. "Make it stop, Percy, please."

"I wish I could, Annabeth. I just don't know how," I admitted. Annabeth's head shot up and she looked at me hopefully.

"I do!" she exclaimed. "The medicine, how does it work?"

"I don't know if I can tell you without making you angry." Explaining how anti-psychotics work would involve explaining how she was psychotic, and I knew she didn't even _consider _herself insane.

"Well, whatever. If I took it every day, I wouldn't have to see Mali or the Voices anymore, right?"

"With the proper therapy, yes." Annabeth grabbed the collar of my shirt and yanked me closer to her. We were eye-to-eye, and hers were filled with a mix of pain and hope.

"Give it to me. Give me that medicine."

"You su-"

"Positive."

**Sorry I didn't update last week. I have severe writer's block for anything involving romance. When I said this is the first romance I've ever written, I wasn't exaggerating. Tell me how I did in the reviews!**

**BTW, I will reveal that this does have a moderately happy to happy ending. **

**R&R&R!**

- **XxbethamphetaminexX, now the a-mah-zing FlorenceBradbury **


	18. Chapter 18

**600+ reviews? You guys are seriously awesome readers! Thank you for actually reviewing this crazy story! **

peanut-butter-mouse – **Aren't friends lovely? :)**

PurpleQueen981- **I like to switch the behaviors of my characters from time to time, like how Annabeth can be serious sometimes and child-like at others. It makes them more interesting in my opinion. But I can see your point.**

Person (Epic Guest)- **I can't believe I made the your/you're mistake. Thank you a million times for pointing that out, I corrected it. And I know how the name is pronounced, I just wasn't focused on the alliteration. I simply like the nickname. **

boywhosavedtheworld – **I do like it, but I'm thinking about incorporating it into a different scene. **

TailsDoll13- **Normal is such a broad term… And she's in this chapter! I hope you like the way I wrote her, I tried to incorporate as much of your information as possible.**

TheRivalRose- **I feel like that would be really awkward to write. **

whackadoodle100- **Bless you for not caring about romance. :)**

Annabeth

I was finally free.

Percy wasted no time giving me the medicine. The moment I said that I wanted it, he shot out of the room like a roadrunner, leaving me alone in my room. By myself, I never realized how creepy my room was. The stark white was unnerving and I felt like it was judging me. I wanted to grab a pen and scribble over the paint. It didn't help that Mali could've easily attacked me since I was alone and there was nothing I could do about it.

_Just when we thought you couldn't go any deeper than rock bottom,_ the Voices spat. _Now you're a full-on traitor._

_ I'm not betraying anyone. _You_ betrayed _me._ Maybe if you had been less violent, I wouldn't be doing this._

_ Stop playing the victim. You brought this on yourself. You knew that we didn't like Percy Jackson, but you still kept crushing on him. Was he really more important than your friends? _There was that argument again. The you-liked-Percy-Jackson-so-we-have-the-right-to-ab use-you argument. Even after months of hearing it, I still didn't understand the logic behind it.

_So I like someone and it means that you can try to_ kill_ me?_ I argued.

_We'd explain, but we don't like you right now,_ they replied. Before I could respond, Percy came in with an orange bottle of pills.

"Got 'em," he said as he popped the bottle open. He shook it until two little pills came out. They were small and a shiny blue: they reminded me of jewels. Percy took a tiny water bottle out of his pocket and handed it to me.

"Just chug 'em down and you're good." I took the pills out of his palm and held them up at eye level. I thought it was funny-in-an-unfunny-way that such tiny little things could cause so much drama. I poured some of the water in my mouth and kept it there to put the pills in, a trick I learned that keeps you from tasting the medicine.

"Shouldn't you take the pills first?" Percy asked. I shook my head.

_Don't do this,_ the Voices pleaded. _We're sorry. Please don't take them. Let's just be friends again and forget this ever happened. Please Annabeth?_

I dropped the pills in my mouth and swallowed hard.

* * *

I had a dreamless sleep and an easy morning. The moment I woke up, I expected Mali to come and bite my ankles or something, but then I remembered that I was medicated. It didn't feel as weird as it did last time, but that might've had something to with the fact that I had taken them willingly. I wasn't sure.

I paced around a room for a couple minutes waiting for a Voice. Nothing. All I heard were my own thoughts. _I guess they're gonna be gone for good_, I thought. The weird thing was that I didn't care. After all I had been through with Mali and the Voices, I didn't mind that they were gone. I probably should've felt bad because I didn't care, but I didn't. It was like they were distant memories of old friends. Well, enemies would be more accurate given preceding events.

"Hey," I heard someone say. I was about to freak out when I realized that it was Percy. I didn't see him since he was outside. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," I replied. One of the (many) things I liked about Percy was that he respected my privacy. Most supervisors just broke into their patient's room. He came into my room with a paranoid expression.

"What's wrong?"

"I just wanted to make sure that the medicine worked," he said. "It _did_ work, right?"

I nodded. "I can't hear or see anything that you can't. It feels good actually. Everything feels so calm now, and I don't have to worry about Mali anymore." Percy exhaled in relief.

"Oh thank the gods," he said. "I was worried that it wouldn't work or something would go wrong." He walked over to me and held my face in his hands. "I'm so glad you're okay," he said and kissed me on the forehead. Nobody had done that since my mother, but the feeling was _wildly_ different.

_ If this is what being medicated for one day was like, I can get used to this._

* * *

I finished breakfast early, so I decided to walk around the lobby. While was walking, I saw a young girl and an identical woman who I assumed was her mother talking to Silena at the desk. The girl was a young teenager, but she I could tell that she was shy from the way she hid behind her mother, so she seemed younger. She had wild, dark chocolate hair with matching eyes and lightly freckled cream skin. The woman was the same, only with neater hair and no freckles. The girl put out a strong I-don't-want-to-be-here vibe, but that never stopped me before. I loved meeting new patients.

"Hi Silena," chirped as I walked over to the desk. She was used to me trying to meet other patients, so she already knew what I wanted.

"Hello Annabeth. This is Shakira Schmid and her mother, Sharon Schmid." At the sound of her name, Shakira stuck her head out from behind her mom to look at me. Her wide eyes were full of curiosity and fear.

"Shakira," Sharon cooed, "don't be rude. Say hi to Annabeth." Shakira shyly stuck out her hand and I took it.

"Nice to meet you," she said softly.

"Nice to meet you, too. You don't have to be shy. I'm not going to hurt you, Shakira." She smiled. Normally this would be the time that Mali said something rude about Shakira's personality and I would shush her, but there was nothing this time.

"It's okay Shakira," Sharon said. "Go on, go talk. I'll be here until I'm finished with the registration." Then she nervously turned to Silena. "She's not going to hurt my daughter, right?" _Hello, I'm right here._

Silena shook her head. "Probably not." Sharon didn't look too pleased about the "probably" part, but before she could protest, I had already dragged Shakira away.

"I'm sorry in advance," Shakira sighed. "I'm not really good with conversation." She nervously tugged on her jean shorts with one hand and the sleeve of her army jacket with the other.

"Oh, it's fine. Lots of people here don't like conversation. My friend Reyna never talks at all."

"Really? Like, _never_? Not even once?"

"She did when she was little, but she stopped. She's a selective mute." Shakira brightened.

"I read a book about that once! It was called _Speak._ It was about this girl named Melinda who was raped at a party and called the cops. Only nobody knew that she had been raped, so the cops just busted people for underage drinking and such. She never told anybody that she was assaulted and stopped speaking. So at school, everybody hated Melinda and she was bullied a lot. It was even worse because her ex-best friend was dating her rapist. It was a really sad book, but it had a nice ending. Well, it was actually a bittersweet ending. I like bittersweet endings, don't you? They're so much more realistic. But I like almost any ending as long as it's well put together. I just hate it when books end! Like the _Harry Potter_ series. I love those books! My favorite book was…" Believe it nor not, Shakira managed to say all that in six, maybe, seven breaths. I could barely understand what she was saying. I didn't think that she was trying to talk so quickly, but she was just so excited that she couldn't help herself.

After a while, she seemed to notice that it was hard for me to keep up. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said. "This is why I'm not good at conversations. I usually just end up going off on a tangent about books. I understand if you're not interested." Shakira seemed like one of those people who was used to rejection, which was totally unfair because she seemed really nice.

"It's alright. I love to read, but I haven't done it in a while. It'd be great if you told me about some books." Shakira grinned up at me.

"Okay!" she piped. "But, I'm really sorry, I forgot your name."

"That's fine. I'm Annabeth. Annabeth Chase, to be specific."

"Annabeth?" Shakira confirmed. I nodded. "Can I give you a nickname?"

"Um, sure, I guess. I mean, it depends on what the nickname is, of course."

Shakira fake-scratched her chin in thought. "Anna!" she exclaimed. "Can I call you Anna?"

"Actually, I don't really like being called Anna or Annie and names like that."

"Oh, you'll get used to it, Anna. Can I call you Anna? Please?" She l=gazed up at me with big, brown, puppy-dog eyes. _How am I supposed to say no?_

"Fine," I sighed. _Oh well, she's a sweet kid._ "But if you call me Anna, I get to give you a nickname." Shakira nodded happily.

"Oh, sure. I don't mind."

I tapped my chin and pretended to be in deep thought like she did, but I already had a name for her. "How about Kira?"

Shakira's eyes brightened. "Could you call me Kira-Kira too? There's a book called _Kira-Kira_ and I just loved it! And it means 'sparkling or glittering' in Japanese."

"Sure, I like it," I laughed. Shakira- or, _Kira-Kira_- was a cute girl, and I could tell that we'd be friends. "What's it about?"

"It's about a Japanese-American girl named Katie who lives in America in the 1950s," Kira said happily. She was much more animated since she was talking about books again, and began speaking rapidly. "She has this sister named Lynn who's she's super close wi-"

"_Shakira!"_ Sharon Schmid, who walked up behind Kira and I, snapped. She didn't look particularly angry, just a little tired. It felt like she had gone through this before. "I'm sure, um…"

"Annabeth," I supplied.

"_Annabeth_ doesn't want to hear about all the books you've read. She might not be interested in them, sweetie." Kira-Kira blushed.

"Oh, it's fine. I like to read," I said. "I said she could tell me." Sharon still wasn't pleased.

"Although that's very nice of you," Sharon sighed, then faced Shakira, "you can't go off on tangents like that, Shakira. We're sending you here to help you stop." Mrs. Schmid looked back at me with weary brown eyes.

"My daughter is a bibliomaniac. We're trying to help her have a better life, but all she's concerned about are her books."

"I like books, Shar, what's wrong with that?" Kira asked. Her face said that she'd had this conversation many times before. She started fiddling with the buttons on her green jacket.

"It's interfering with your life, hon." Kira-Kira rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry Ms. Schmid," I interrupted. "We'll take good care of Shakira here. Trust me, everything's gonna be fine." She narrowed her eyes at me.

"Aren't you the girl who's been here for half a decade and is notorious for attacking people?" she asked calmly. Shakira looked a little startled and nervously glanced at me. I swallowed hard. _Look who's done their research._

"Actually, I'm improving thanks to my new supervisor." _Who's also my boyfriend, but whatever._ "So even more difficult patients like myself can get better." Kira relaxed visibly and Sharon gave me a look of grudging approval. Poseidon always loved it when I talked to incoming patients. Apparently, I was a walking advertisement when I used the right words.

"Well that's good," Sharon sighed. "I guess you'll be in good hands, sweetheart." She opened her arms for a hug, and Shakira happily obliged. "Go on, try to make friends. Real ones, not book friends."

"Got it, Shar," Shakira said. "I'll be good, I promise." She kissed her mom on the cheek and waved goodbye when she left.

"Don't worry, there's always visiting days for when you miss her," I said. Kira sniffed and rubbed her nose.

"I know. It's just weird being all alone in a place filled with strangers. I hate being surrounded by people that might be mean to me."

"Don't worry, you'll be fine," I said. "I can introduce you to my friends if you like."

"I-I don't know…"

"Trust me, they'll love you. I swear I won't let anybody bother you, Kira-Kira." She looked at me.

"Really?"

"Really. C'mon, let's meet the others."

* * *

"Guys, this is Shakira Schmid. She's a new patient here and I want you all to play nice, understand?" I said during the group session. Leo laughed.

"You sound like kindergarten teacher Barbie," he laughed. He'd gotten over his paranoia and was back to his annoying self, and Percy hadn't arrived yet, so there was nobody to stop him.

"Don't call me Barbie."

"Okay Barbie." Leo turned his attention to Shakira, who was hiding behind my dress.

"What's her deal?" Connor asked. "Is she like Katie over there?" He pointed to Katie, who was sitting in her corner because of the new arrival.

"No, she's just shy." I looked behind me at Shakira. "It's okay. You don't have to be shy."

"Shakira? Like the singer?" Leo asked. Shakira stuck her head out to look at him. "Man, she's hot. If only I could understand her voice." Shakira laughed under her breath, and Leo saw it as progress.

"So how old are you?"

"I'm 15, but I'll be turning 16 in a couple months."

"Y'know, I don't say this to any girl," Leo began, "but you're really pretty." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Reyna flush an angry shade of red. She got up from her beanbag and wacked Leo on the arm with her notebook.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"Dude, she's like three years younger than you. Stop flirting with the poor girl," Piper chided. "Sorry about Leo," she said to Shakira. "He hits on any pretty girl that moves. I'm Piper, by the way." She stuck out her hand for a shake.

"Nice to meet you," Shakira said while shaking Piper's hand and finally coming out from behind me. "Um, do you mind if I give you a nickname? It's just one of those things that I like to do."

"I don't mind at all."

"Okay then! You're Pip."

Connor and Travis started waving their hands wildly. "Oh, oh!" they yelled. "We're Connor and Travis. What are our nicknames?"

Shakira thought for a moment. "Conny and Travvy," she decided.

"Cool," they laughed. Rachel briefly glanced at the clock.

"When's Percy getting here?" she asked. "We should probably start now."

"I bet Annabeth knows," Calypso interjected. "They're the _best_ of friends now. Aren't you, Annabeth?" She winked at me when nobody was looking. I hadn't told her outright that Percy and I were dating, but I had the feeling that she guessed it anyway.

"Actually, Calypso, I _don't_ know where he is." Callie mock pouted, but couldn't keep it up and giggled.

"Who's Percy?" Kira asked me. "I think I'll call him 'Per'."

"Percy's my supervisor," I answered, "and, as the lovely Callie over there pointed out, my very good friend." _Very, very good friend._

"He's cool," Rachel said. "Besides, he must be pretty tough to deal with all of us for so long. Also, I'm Rachel."

"Can I call you Ray-Ray?" Kira-Kira asked. Rachel shrugged, which Shakira took as a yes.

"Yay! It's so nice to around such nice people. I was a little scared that you guys would all be complete jerks towards me or something. This is so much better than high school." She whispered that last part to herself.

"Don't fret, young one," Leo said jokingly. "The only people who would be jerks to you are Reyna and Shy Katie over there."

"Ignore him," I told Shakira. "Reyna and Katie are really nice. Reyna's just mute, like I told you earlier, and Katie's scared of new people. Leo's being mean." At the mention of his name, Leo put up his hands in a _hey-don't-shoot-me_ kind of way.

"I was just joking!" he protested. "Besides, Reyna and Katie don't mind, right guys?" Katie didn't respond, but Reyna gave Leo a tight half-smile and flipped him off.

"I think she minds."

"You're Reyna?" Shakira asked Reyna. "I read about a girl who was a lot like you…" Kira went off on _Speak, _but Reyna's always been a really good listener, so she didn't mind.

"And," she said when she was done, "can I call you Rey-Rey?" Reyna frowned and drew a big question mark in her notebook.

"I thought I was Rey-Rey," Rachel said. She picked at a dried paint splatter on the edge of her shirt.

"Actually, you're _Ray-Ray_," Kira-Kira corrected.

"I don't really see the difference."

"Rey-Rey," Travis interjected, "is said in a slightly flatter tone."

"Ray-Ray," Connor added, "is said with more emotion. It's said like a fabulous gay guy would say Rey-Rey, as in 'Hay, Ray-Ray. I love yo' shoes, gurl.'"

Rachel grimaced. "That's a total stereotype. Not all gay men talk like that."

"Well, the fabulous ones on TV and in movies do," Connor countered. Rachel just shook her head and sighed.

"I don't understand how anybody could put up with those two," she said to Shakira.

"I think they're funny," Kira laughed.

"Everybody does!" Travis and Connor cheered in unison. I heard the door open with a click.

"Lies," Percy said casually as he entered the room.

"C'mon, Perce," Travis groaned, "don't be like that." Percy just laughed. Shakira noticed him and hid behind the person closest to her, which was a very startled Reyna.

"Who's that?" Percy asked and pointed in Reyna and Shakira's direction. I had to give her credit; if I didn't already know she was there, I wouldn't have guessed that Shakira was behind Reyna.

"That's Shakira Schmid," Piper said. "She's new." Kira stuck out a hand and waved, but the rest of her body was still hidden. Percy returned the awkward wave with an equally awkward one.

"Um, hi Shakira," he said. "Welcome, I guess. Make yourself at home." Shakira stuck out a "thumbs up" sign.

"So, I guess we have more introductions to make."

* * *

"I like Shakira," Percy said while we were going back to my room. "She's a nice kid."

"I like her too. Don't like being called 'Anna', but I guess I'll forgive it." Percy laughed and mock-punched me in the shoulder.

"You're so stubborn, Wise Girl," he said. I punched back, only mine was real.

"Not true, Seaweed Brain," I laughed. He grimaced and held his arm.

"What is it about girls that they like to hit me so often?"

"It's your magnetism, Jackson. I'm sure girls just break down your doors for a chance to go on a date with you."

Percy forgot about his arm and beamed at me. He glanced around to make sure we were alone. "You just reminded me: We've never had a real date before." His green eyes did that thing were they would get greener.

"I guess you're right. It is pretty hard considering everything. I'm guessing you have something in mind."

Percy nodded happily, like a little kid who got a big lollipop for his birthday. "Yup. I talked to Dad earlier and he said that it would be okay for me to take you out of the hospital since you're taking your medications now. Of course, I didn't tell him that it was a date, but who cares?"

"_Outside?_" I said. "I haven't been outside in five years. What if something horrible happens? What if somebody tries to attack me? I'm going to be dead the moment I step out of these doors!" I was in full panic mode by that point. I was turning red and my hands were shaking wildly. Percy reached out and pinned my arms to my sides to stop it.

"It'll be okay," he said softly. "All that stuff about you getting attacked was just Mali trying to get to you, and look at what she's done. I promise that nothing will happen."

"But-"

"But nothing." He let go of my arms and made the Boy Scout sign with his hand. "I swear that I won't let anything hurt you while we're out. Scout's Honor."

"You're not even a Boy Scout, Seaweed Brain."

"I used to be, so this is still completely valid." I had to think about it; I hadn't been outside in so long. _What if something bad happens and Percy can't do anything about it? What if something bad happens to him? Maybe Mali was right about one thing. Half-Blood's probably the only safe place for me…_

"You're pulling your hair again," Percy noted. "I can tell that you're nervous." I looked at my hand, which was wrapped around a huge clump of blond hair. Percy took my hand in his and unclenched it.

"Do you trust me?" I nodded. "Then you know that I wouldn't do anything to hurt you, right?" I nodded again.

"Good," he said. "Then I can't wait 'till tomorrow."

**More of a character intro than an actual chapter, but at least I updated. And the next chapter will involve fluff, which I can't write. So I apologize in advance if it's bad or really short or something. **

**HoH News: The official preview is out! And I found it online so you don't have to buy it. Just remove the spaces on this link: www . fanpop clubs / the-heroes-of-olympus / articles / 212626 / title / official-house-hades-sneak-peek**

**I know I'm super late, but isn't the cover awesome? Although somebody pointed out that Percy's ass was huge in it, so now it's all I can see. :( Nonetheless, it's beautiful.**

**Riordan said that Nico won't have a POV, so bang goes that dream. **

**Updating News: I am out of school now, but that doesn't mean that I'll be updating any faster. My summer is packed already, so I'll try to update like I did when school was in session. **

**R&R&R!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Although I'm glad that you guys like Shakira, I can't take credit; she belongs to **TailsDoll13.

That Was Such A Face Palm-** I had 666 reviews and I missed it? Darn…**

gotrice98- **I was considering spoiling it, but I decided not to.**

TailsDoll13- **Glad I did it right! And I would've bought it, but I don't like paying for things.**

Hunter of Artemis101- **Yep! F+TM is the best!**

Mr. Invincible- **What can I say? I'm obsessed.**

(Epic) Guest- **I actually don't ship Leyna. I just don't have a problem with it. So there probably won't be a lot of it.**

TheRivalRose- **You should know since you're an awesome author. :)**

**Disclaimer (only using it 'cause it's a cool one): Rick's stories don't come in pieces, Rick's stories tear you to pieces.**

Percy

I remember my first date/kiss.

It was in the 7th grade. A girl in my class named Joanne Leigh asked me out for ice cream via passing notes in Science class. She was a nice, pretty girl with silver braces, black hair, and a love for anything related to dogs. We met up at her house where her father welcomed me in after threatening me with his gun collection. The moment I walked in, her giant Golden Retriever tackled me to the floor. We finally went out to get the actual ice cream (blue vanilla for me and chocolate for Joanne), and after we finished eating it, we kissed.

My lips got caught in her braces and I was bleeding like crazy until she found a First Aid kit.

Even though that couldn't have happened because Annabeth didn't have a gun-enthusiast father, a large dog, or braces, I was still pretty nervous. Yes, I had gone on other dates after that little _incident,_ but most of them just blended together into one massive, testosterone-filled haze. This felt different. It _was_ different.

"I have no idea what to do," I said to Grover. He was the only one of my friends that knew about Annabeth and I. He was surprisingly supportive when we got past the whole "oh-my-gods-I-can't-believe-you're-that-stupid" part.

"Why would I know anything?"

"I don't know, you've been on dates right?"

"Well of _course_," Grover huffed and crossed his arms. "Just not with anyone like Annabeth. She's hard to predict."

"Got any suggestions, G-man?" Grover tapped his bearded chin in thought.

"Maybe a museum? She likes stuff like that right?" he offered weakly.

"Yeah, but I'd be bored out of my mind, and that would ruin it."

"True, true."

"I just want this to be perfect," I admitted. "This would be the first time she's stepped outside in a _half a decade_. I don't want her to regret it." Grover looked at me with sympathy in his dark brown eyes.

"Maybe should try not planning anything at all," he suggested.

_ "What?"_

"Y'know, like one of those spontaneous sort of dates. Honestly, anything can happen in New York, so why not go with the flow?"

I thought for a bit, and the more I thought, the more appealing the idea became. _I don't have to plan anything, Annabeth would like the surprise, we would find something we both like, I don't have to plan anything, it would be an adventure, it's creative, I don't have to plan anything…_

"G-man, has anyone ever told you that you're an awesome planner?" Grover shook his head.

"Well, you're an awesome planner."

* * *

When I went to pick up Annabeth at her room, I was actually relieved that she didn't dress up. All she wore was a white blouse and blue skinny jeans with black Converse.

"Normally we're not allowed to wear bright colors, but Poseidon said it was okay since we'll be outside," she explained. I thought that it was nice; the few splashes of color made her look less serious and worried. Besides, if she dress up, I probably would've felt awkward in my jeans, green polo, and old varsity jacket.

When we were taking the elevator down to the lobby, I noticed Annabeth tugging her hair, even though it was up in a ponytail. She was also breathing in that weird way that people do when they're trying to calm down, but it seemed to only make her feel worse. I took hold of her hand and squeezed it.

"You'll be fine," I assured. Annabeth smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. When we got out of the elevator and into the lobby, she froze.

"I don't think I can do this," she panicked. "There are so many people that could get me out there and what if they poison me or I get shot or hit by a car or what if something happens to you and you get killed or something-"

"Annabeth. Calm. Everything will be fine." I grabbed her shoulders and started pushing them down so she would relax, but she didn't budge. "Suit yourself."

There weren't many people around, so nobody was there to protest when I started dragged Annabeth out the door. Good thing, too; Annabeth wasn't very happy about it.

"I swear, Seaweed Brain, I'll kill you after this!" She was having a bad day.

We reached the doors and I spun Annabeth around to face them. For a moment, she just looked at them with a sort of uncertain excitement, like she didn't know if she should've ran away and never looked back or burst out with arms wide open.

"Open them," I prodded. Annabeth lightly pushed the doors so that they would open inch by inch.

But I figured that ain't nobody got time fo' that, so I just pushed them open myself.

* * *

"Gods, I almost forgot what a car horn sounded like," Annabeth winced as we walked down the sidewalk of a busy street. "Now my ears are ruined." She kept wincing and pressing her hands against her ears to drown the noise.

"That guy just bumped into me!"she shrieked after some dude accidentally brushed against her arm while walking past her. "I swear that was a threat!" She grabbed my arm until the circulation got cut off.

"Um, Annabeth? I know you're scared and all, but I like my arm so…"

"Sorry." She loosened her grip (thank the gods), but didn't let go. I could feel Annabeth's hand tremble slightly. She kept using her free hand to shield her eyes from the blaring sun and colorful lights. Every time somebody came in contact with a stranger, her grip on my arm tightened. Unfortunately, we were walking along the crowded streets of New York, so that happened pretty much every two seconds. I figured that I wasn't going to be able to use my arm by the time we got back.

"It's so bright out here," Annabeth commented. "There are so many bright colors and flashing lights_. _It's such a shock after only seeing white and gray for five years. And the _people_…don't even get me started on the people." She looked at the crowds for a second, and held my arm a bit tighter.

"Yeah, I've always liked that about New York. It's full of life and energy."

"That's nice and everything, but I wish it could be quieter," Annabeth complained.

"You get used to it, don't worry. I've lived here all my life and it's not so bad. We'll have a great time, promise."

"I believe you," she said with a smile. "It's just different."

"Different _bad?_"

"Different _different_," she replied cheekily. "I don't dislike it, but after being isolated for years, I wish my first time out had been to a calmer place. But I am happy to be here with y-" Annabeth was cut off by a small bump on the shoulder from a passerby, and began to chew on her lips and pull her blonde hair.

"Nobody's going to hurt you," I soothed.

"I believe you," she responded, but her voice was shaking, so it was hard to really believe her.

"What are we doing, by the way?" Annabeth asked me. "I forgot to ask you earlier."

"Actually, we're going to see what we can find. This is your first time out in a while, so why not make it an adventure?"

Annabeth nodded appreciatively. "How creative of you," she approved_. Two points for me. _"But you didn't plan anything, did you?" _Minus two points for me._

"No," I admitted. "But not because I don't care. I do care, honest. I just wanted this t be perfect but I wasn't sure what to do. I'm really sorry if you're upset."

She laughed. "No, it's fine. It's kinda cool, actually. We can look around and sightsee and all that. This is perfect."

I sighed in relief. "Have I ever told you how amazing you are?" I said after kissing her on the cheek.

"You can _stand_ to do it some more," Annabeth giggled. She looked around for a second and perked up when she saw something she liked.

"Oh look, a carnival!" Annabeth gasped. "Gods, I haven't seen one in ages. The last time I went to one, I was only 10! Can we go? Please?"

The carnival didn't look all that impressive to me. It was one of those cheap ones that set up in the middle of abandoned parking lots. But it did have a lot of game stands and it reminded me of being a kid. And to Annabeth, it probably looked worldly and wonderful.

"What the heck? Sure, let's go." _Not like I had anything planned out._ We walked over to the carnival hand in hand. If asked, Annabeth would probably say that she did it because she was scared of crowds; if you asked me, I would say that she just wanted to hold my hand.

Not that I minded.

* * *

"You've never had cotton candy before?" I asked. Annabeth just stared back at me. We were wandering around the carnival, which, lucky for us, didn't have a ton of people minus the little kids and their parents. It was nice place in reality, even if everything looked a little old. Annabeth just called it "vintage". I was good; they had the best carnival food _ever, i_ncluding amazing pink-and-blue swirled cotton candy, which Annabeth never tasted.

"I never had the chance," she explained. "My parents didn't want me to eat candy until I was 13, and once I passed 13, I was in Half-Blood. So I never ate a lot of candy in general." She must not have realized just how great of a crime she'd committed against childhood itself.

"They didn't let you eat candy?"

"Nope. They wanted me to be healthy."

"That's sad. I'm on the verge of tears," I fake-sobbed and wiped away a nonexistent tear. Annabeth rolled her eyes, but I could tell that she wasn't annoyed.

I tore off a piece of my cotton candy (not the blue part) and handed it to her. "Try it. I swear on my life that you'll like it." She took it gingerly at looked at it.

"This is pure sugar," she said critically. "It's so unhealthy."

"You drank enough caffeine to cause a heart attack that one time."

"Touché." Annabeth popped the cotton candy in her mouth. Her eyes widened into huge gray marbles.

"So what do think?" I asked her.

"Oh. My. Gosh," Annabeth said in awe. "This is the greatest thing ever." She grabbed mine and started eating it.

"But I want some…"

"Pretty please, Percy?" she pleaded. I ended up having to buy myself more cotton candy.

"What's that?" Annabeth asked me when we reached a game booth. It was one of those water gun games where you squirt the tiny target until the balloon fills up with water. The stand was run-down, but you could tell that it looked shiny and inviting when it was first made. The stand itself was made of dull metal and it had a sign on the front with the words "Target Shooter: Get a bull's eye and win a prize!" The red fabric roof was lined with metal racks of random stuffed animals, from toy eagles to plush snakes.

"It's a game designed to steal your money. I learned that the hard way."

"It looks like fun!" she laughed, totally ignoring my warning. "Can we play, Percy?" She gave me her puppy-dog eyes and I caved. So I asked the guy working the booth, a 30 year old with frizzy red hair and a toothy smile, for a couple of games.

"You know what to do, Wise Girl?" I asked Annabeth. She nodded and clapped in anticipation.

"Yep. I have gone to carnivals before, even if it was over five years ago." We put our hands on our water guns and waited for the signal from the carny.

"Annnnnd, GO!" Annabeth and I pressed down the buttons, sending streams of water spurting from our guns and onto our targets. Well, _her_ gun was hitting the target, but my gun had a mind of its own and was spraying everything around me. When I saw how good Annabeth was doing, I (accidentally) turned my gun to her and shot her with a burst of water.

"Ah! Stop it Seaweed Brain!" she screamed. But she didn't stop pressing the button.

"No way!" I laughed. "This is the most fun I've ever had a carnival!" Annabeth jerked her gun and started spraying me in the face as retaliation, which wasn't really what I was going for.

"Ah! Uncle! Uncle!" I sputtered through the cold and somehow hard stream of water hitting my face.

"But this is the most fun I've ever had a carnival!" she mocked. _Using my own words against me, well played._ Before I could open my mouth (which probably would've ended up with me getting more water shot down my throat), the water pressure gradually decreased until our guns stopped working.

"Well," the carny began, "because you guys used more water on each other than the actual targets, I'm not technically supposed to give you any prizes. But since y'all are so entertaining, I'm just going to ignore that. Pick whatever you want."

"Do you have any spare clothes?" a shivering Annabeth asked while squeezing the water out of her soaked clothes and hair.

"Sorry, miss," he laughed heartily, "but I only have toys." Annabeth rubbed her arms, but picked a small plush owl from the prize rack. I went for the giant dolphin.

"You soaked my clothes," she whined through her laughter. "Now my shirt is see-through."

"And the problem is…?"

_"Percy!"_ Annabeth chided. She crossed one arm over her body to shield herself, but used the other to punch me.

"Sorry, sorry! Don't hurt me!" I took of my jacket (which was still pretty wet) and handed it to her. "Here, take my jacket. It's wet, but it'll cover you." Annabeth blushed and put it on.

"In the movies, the guy always gives the girl his varsity jacket so that everybody knows they're dating," she said under her breath. She looked into my green eyes with her sparkling gray ones.

"Who would've thought that we'd be like a regular couple?"

"Certainly not me," Annabeth whispered intimately, like nobody else existed. "But it's part of our charm, don't you think?" I brushed away wet strand of pale hair, darkened due to the water, from her face.

"Well, we are such _charming_ people." Annabeth laughed quietly and leaned in to be closer to me.

"I think we are," she said as she stood a little higher up and I leaned down.

When we met in the middle, it was the best spontaneous kiss I ever had.

* * *

When we walked back to Half-Blood, we were tired and soaking wet. But Annabeth looked so happy that I didn't even care. It was like she was glowing from within. It was like somebody had wiped my eyes, and I could see just how pretty she really was. Her smile sparkled, her eyes had a happy twinkle in them, and she just seemed to burst with a unique kind of radiance. The worst part of my day was having to say goodbye at her dorm.

"Oh I almost forgot," Annabeth piped up. She took of my jacket; luckily, her shirt dried out a bit. "Here's your jacket. Thanks for lending it to me."

"No problem," I said as I took it back. "It looked good on you." She blushed.

"Percy, I know I haven't been on any dates, but I'd say that this was the best one ever."

"I think you're right," I agreed. I kissed her on the forehead and waved goodbye.

**I know it's not that great, but I was rushing and I couldn't proofread. I hope you liked it anyways!**

**HoH Question: Who do you think is going to close the Doors? Everyone keeps saying either Leo or Frank, but I disagree. Rick kills off characters, but he doesn't kill off ****_major_**** characters. Just want to know what you guys think.**

**R&R&R!**


	20. AN

**Dear Readers,**

**I'm sorry this isn't a chapter, but I have important news. I'm deleting this story. I just have no motivation for it. I'm sorry.**

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**I'm kidding. That was a troll. But I seriously won't update this week or maybe next. I just didn't want you guys to think that I died or abandoned this or something. And I really wanted to do that troll.**

**I'll delete this when I finish the chapter.**

**Sincerely,**

**Florence Freaking Bradbury**


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